World Health Day: What's in your wallet?

April 7 is the World Health Day.  Divesting from fossil fuel is an economic justice tool to lessen the impact or slow down the impact of Climate Crisis.  By putting our resources to a sustainable and clean investments, we help transition our world off the fossil fuel industry and bring the resources into where the economy needs to go. This supports healthy socio-ecological and economically integrated society. The CEO founder of Green Investments Strategies considers this work as part of his Catholic faith. Sustainability is healthy.  It helps the whole world thrive not only a selected few.  When we think only of money at the expense or abuse of the nature and the vulnerable parts of society, we will soon reap the effects of our lack of virtues.  What this means is that cheap things does not mean healthy.  The ecology is created with an intelligent mechanism to return to us how we treat it with kindness or greediness.

Laudato Si Articles related to sustainable lifestyle choices and investments

26. Many of those who possess more resources and economic or political power seem mostly to be concerned with masking the problems or concealing their symptoms, simply making efforts to reduce some of the negative impacts of climate change. However, many of these symptoms indicate that such effects will continue to worsen if we continue with current models of production and consumption. There is an urgent need to develop policies so that, in the next few years, the emission of carbon dioxide and other highly polluting gases can be drastically reduced, for example, substituting for fossil fuels and developing sources of renewable energy. 

42. Greater investment needs to be made in research aimed at understanding more fully the functioning of ecosystems and adequately analyzing the different variables associated with any significant modification of the environment. Because all creatures are connected, each must be cherished with love and respect, for all of us as living creatures are dependent on one another. 

183. Environmental impact assessment should not come after the drawing up of a business proposition or the proposal of a particular policy, plan or programme. It should be part of the process from the beginning, and be carried out in a way which is interdisciplinary, transparent and free of all economic or political pressure. It should be linked to a study of working conditions and possible effects on people’s physical and mental health, on the local economy and on public safety. Economic returns can thus be forecast more realistically, taking into account potential scenarios and the eventual need for further investment to correct possible undesired effects. 

191. Whenever these questions are raised, some react by accusing others of irrationally attempting to stand in the way of progress and human development. But we need to grow in the conviction that a decrease in the pace of production and consumption can at times give rise to another form of progress and development. 

192. For example, a path of productive development, which is more creative and better directed, could correct the present disparity between excessive technological investment in consumption and insufficient investment in resolving urgent problems facing the human family. It could generate intelligent and profitable ways of reusing, revamping and recycling, and it could also improve the energy efficiency of cities. 

Read expanded version of the above articles: Laudato si' (24 May 2015) | Francis