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Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life

July 1, 2015

Pope Francis’ Encyclical on the Environment: A Dialogue on its Moral and Policy Challenges

Pope Francis’ Encyclical on the Environment: A Dialogue on its Moral and Policy Challenges

Laudato Si': On Care for Our Common Home, Pope Francis’ just-released encyclical on care for creation, generated unprecedented interest and discussion on the moral challenges related to environmental responsibility and environmental justice. How might his connections between the environment and the poor, faith and science, shape the debate in our nation and around the world? How might the letter impact the choices and policies of individuals, institutions, business, and government around climate change and the environment nationally and globally?

This Dialogue brought together a distinguished panel from government, media, academia, and business to discuss the encyclical, its moral framework, and its potential religious, ethical and policy impacts. These included EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, NBC News Correspondent Anne Thompson, Fordham Professor Christiana Peppard, and the CEO of the Public Service Enterprise Group Ralph Izzo. John Carr, director of the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life, moderated the discussion.

Gina McCarthy is the Administrator of the US Environmental Protection Agency.

Anne Thompson is the chief environmental affairs and Vatican correspondent for NBC News.

Christiana Peppard is a professor of moral theology at Fordham University.

Ralph Izzo is the chairman, president and CEO of Public Service Enterprise Group Inc. 

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