Holy See urges protection of ozone layer for mankind

November 16, 2012 - The environment – notably ozone layer protection and related actions – entails a shared responsibility toward the entire human family, especially the poor and the future generations. The Holy See’s permanent observer to the United Nations in Geneva, Archbishop Silvano Tomasi made this observation on Thursday. He was speaking at a high-level meeting of States Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. The Holy See representative admitted that there has been significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions that deplete the atmosphere’s protective layer, but pressed for enhanced protection of creation as a whole. He said it is vital to take into account the concerns of the poorer and more vulnerable countries and assist them to meet the challenges they face, as environmental issues are very closely linked with human rights issues. Archbishop Tomasi cited the increase of eye cataract and forced migration due to sea level rising as two consequences of a depleted ozone layer. Protection of creation in all its aspects is a duty of solidarity toward future generations, he said and urged stronger focus on information, education, and the formation of a sense of responsibility in children and adults towards environmentally sound patterns of development and the stewardship of creation. “The way humanity treats the environment influences the way it treats itself,” Archbishop Tomasi added.