Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’ – On care for our Common Home

Chapter 1: What is happening to our common home?

Pollution and climate change
Pollution affects the daily life of people and causes millions of premature deaths.
Earth begins to look more like an immense pile of filth.
Throwaway culture – one-time use of resources
 Can be avoided by reusing, recycling, and limiting the use of non-renewable
resources.
Climate change is a global problem with serious implications.
Changes afflict entire populations and causes migration movements.
Preserving the climate is one of the principal challenges facing humanity.
Issues of water
People get sick and die because of contaminated water.
Access to safe drinkable water is a basic and universal human right (acdg to pope)
Depriving the poor to it means they are denied the right to a life
Biodiversity Loss
Extinction of plant and animal caused by humanity changes the ecosystem and future
consequences cannot be predicted.
Diverse species are not just an exploitable resource but have its value.
Care of richly biodiverse area is necessary for ensuring equilibrium of ecosystem.
Decline in the quality of human life and breakdown of society
Growth of the past two centuries has not always led to an integral development.
Contact in nature is limited except for areas reserved to privileged.
Some huge cities are excessively wasteful of energy and water.
Global Inequality
Poor people are considered as collateral damage in political debates.
To hear both the cry of earth and the poor, is not reducing birth rate but counteracting an
extreme and selective consumerism.
Weak Responses
Pope Francis is deeply affected by weak responses in face of tragedies of many people.
Adequate leadership are lacking and the willingness to change lifestyle.
Establishment of a legal framework can ensure the protection of ecosystems.

Module 2
Technology and the Future of humanity

Essence of Technology
-sci&tech : responsible for ways a society continuously being modernized
-S&T must not overlap the basic tenets of ethics and morality -> right/wrong
Martin Heidegger (1977) Question Concerning Technology
-defined tech as Instrumental and Anthropological

Technology
-a means to an end, not an end itself
-tool to reach the goal of individuals to make an impact on society (for common good)
•Anthropological
 -a human activity to achieve an end

Technology as a way of Revealing – “bringing forth”

-reveals the truth. Heidegger: true can only be pursued by the correct

Technological Advantages
-efficiency, time, education, job, transportation

Dangers of Technology