Ten Commandments for the Environment

Dear brothers and sisters who love to live a healthy environment;

The Catholic social teaching for the environment can be translated into "a short ethical set of ten commandments." And below are the following:

Ten Commandments for Environment

1. All human beings have a right to an environment adequate to their health and well--being.

2. The environment is a common concern of all humanity and, primordially, a kind of 'commons.' John Paul II, who said,"There is a social mortgage on private property."

3. All humans have common but differentiated responsibilities to sustain the environment."

4. Humans have a duty not to cause environmental harm.

5. The environment must be seen as an integral part of all schemes of economic development.

6. All peoples "have a right to economic development." Equality is the only way to allocate rights to consume and pollute.

7. An ecological ethic would subscribe to the principle that the polluter must pay. Otherwise, distributive justice is violated if the polluter can be a free-rider.

8. When we have serious and imminent threats to the environment, we do not need to wait -- nor should we -- until there is full scientific certainty.

9. Environmental ethics will stress forms of deliberative democracy or consultation. The recent Catholic Social teaching has included strong statements about justice as participation, therefore, "the many stakeholders who will be affected by decisions should have an active voice and input about them."

10. An environmental ethic will show a care for future generations.

...and God said,"it was good."


Compiled from the email of:

Rev. Fr. Raul Escarpe ΓΕ



St. Martin of Tours Parish Priest
Terrace Bay, Ontario
Email: raulescarpe@yahoo.com
Website: http://www.saveourparish.com/