Posts by Laudato Si
Forward Thinking and Living in History
As Christians, we believe that God entered human history in a very forceful and dramatic way through the Incarnation. Yet He did so in a way that did not destroy or overturn human history, but rather that was based on human history at the same time that it transcended it. St. Matthew begins his Gospel…
Read MoreWhat Is the Cost of the Meat We Eat?
If you’ve ever driven through parts of the San Juaquin Valley in Central California, you’ve probably noticed the stench and, quite possibly, had difficulty breathing. The stench and foul air come from factory farms whose animal waste is emitted as ammonia from lagoons and combines with other molecules in the air to become ammonia nitrate.…
Read MoreBees (and Other Pollinators) and Pesticides Don’t Mix
America’s bees are dying at an alarming rate. Some of us may see that as a good thing; the fewer bees (and wasps, and other stinging insects), the fewer stings. But bees are pollinators of about 70 to 100 major crops, ranging from apples and blueberries to watermelon and zucchini. There’s a simple equation: the…
Read MoreHave We Forgotten How to Weep?
“Have we forgotten how to weep?” Pope Francis asked that question in his July 2013 visit to the Italian island of Lampedusa, a major port of entry for migrants and asylum seekers from North Africa and the Mideast, to commemorate those who perished when crossing the Mediterranean from North Africa. Unfortunately, as if to emphasize…
Read MoreDrink Wine with Natural Cork Stoppers!
When we open a wine bottle with a natural cork, we often don’t appreciate that the cork was once a living thing, harvested from the cork oak tree, a species of evergreen oak tree found primarily in southern Portugal, southern Spain, and in northwest Africa. The trees themselves play an important role in western Mediterranean…
Read MoreDominion and Eschatology
That the two creation stories appear to differ in defining humankind’s relationship to God’s creation has sparked endless debate about precisely what role humankind plays in managing God’s creation. In the first creation story (Genesis 1:1-2:3), humankind is given dominion over God’s earthly creation (Genesis 1:26,28). In the second (Genesis 2:4-2:25), the mandate given to…
Read MoreRecycling Styrofoam at SJV
On the surface, styrofoam appears to be completely innocuous. It is durable, which makes it invaluable for packaging fragile items. It retains heat well without becoming excessively hot, making it perfect as containers for hot beverages such as coffee and tea, as well as for take-out foods. Despite its durability and strength, it is also…
Read MoreConflict, Ethics, and the Problem of Fossil Fuels
In the midst of the human crisis currently unfolding in the Ukraine, it is perhaps useful to reflect on another, and potentially far more deadly, one that underlies it. While the United States has banned the import of Russian oil and natural gas, EU members have only agreed to significantly curtail the consumption of Russian…
Read MoreWe Are Not Free Agents!
Modern American culture is distinguished by its sharp focus on the individual. One of the great myths of our time is that we are free agents; that is, that society is merely a collection of individuals who make rational choices as they pursue their individual self-interest. Sometimes, this spirit of individualism is even more prevalent…
Read MoreShampoo and Environmental Responsibility
We all intuitively believe, as John Wesley expressed it in a sermon, that “cleanliness is indeed next to godliness.” And so often unthinkingly and with the best of intentions, we wash our dishes, do our laundry, and shower, and shampoo our hair. Most commonly, we focus on the short-term result for ourselves and are unaware…
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