Church Teaching Living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue:
it is not an optional or secondary aspect of our Christian experience.
Pope Francis, Laudato si’, 217
The Book of Genesis provides us with certain foundations of Christian anthropology, including the meaning of human activity in the world, which is linked to the discovery and respect of the laws of nature that God has inscribed in the created universe, so that humanity may live in it and care for it in accordance with God’s will. Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 37.
Climate Change
There is urgency to this issue. Every Pope since at least Paul VI has written of our need to shift to a more responsible use of the earth and its abundant resources. The Church accepts that that need is now urgent.
“A very solid scientific consensus indicates that we are presently witnessing a disturbing warming of the climatic system… Humanity is called to recognize the need for changes of lifestyle, production and consumption, in order to combat… at least the human causes which produce or aggravate it. It is true that there are other factors, yet a number of scientific studies indicate that most global warming in recent decades is due to the great concentration of greenhouse gases released mainly as a result of human activity. Pope Francis, Laudato si’, 23
Energy & Resources
The good steward neither allows the resources entrusted to him to lie fallow or to fail to produce their proper fruit, nor does he waste or destroy them (Matthew 25:14-30). Rather, he uses them responsibly, for the Lord’s purposes, to realize their increase so that he may enjoy his livelihood and provide for the good of his family, his descendants, and his neighbors.
Humanity’s relationship with creation and the creatures of the earth “requires the exercise of responsibility, it is not a freedom of arbitrary and selfish exploitation.” Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 115
One of the higher priority issues in economics is the utilization of resources, that is, of all those goods and services to which economic subjects — producers and consumers in the private and public spheres — attribute value because of their inherent usefulness in the areas of production and consumption… Resources in nature are quantitatively scarce, which means that each individual economic subject, as well as each individual society, must necessarily come up with a plan for their utilization in the most rational way possible, following the logic dictated by the “principle of economizing.” Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 346
Because of the powerful means of transformation offered by technological civilization, it seems that the balance between man and the environment has reached a critical point… A reductionistic conception quickly spread, starting from the presupposition — which was seen to be erroneous — that an infinite quantity of energy and resources are available, that it is possible to renew them quickly, and that the negative effects of the exploitation of the natural order can be easily absorbed… Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 461, 462
Conservation & Sustainable Development
Care for the environment represents a challenge for all of humanity. It is a matter of a common and universal duty, that of respecting a common good, destined for all, by preventing anyone from using “with impunity the different categories of beings, whether living or inanimate — animals, plants, the natural elements — simply as one wishes, according to one’s own economic needs.”
Responsibility for the environment, the common heritage of mankind, extends not only to present needs but also to those of the future… This is a responsibility that present generations have towards those of the future… A correct understanding of the environment… at the same time…must not absolutize nature and place it above the dignity of the human person himself. In this latter case, one can go so far as to divinize nature or the earth, as can readily be seen in certain ecological movements that seek to gain an internationally guaranteed institutional status for their beliefs. Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 361, 461-463
Species Diversity & Wildlife
Man and woman find themselves also in the presence of all the other creatures. They can and are obliged to put them at their own service and to enjoy them, but their dominion over the world requires the exercise of responsibility, it is not a freedom of arbitrary and selfish exploitation. All of creation has value and is “good” in the sight of God, who is its author. Man must discover and respect its value. This is a marvellous challenge to his intellect, which should lift him up as on wings towards the contemplation of the truth of all God’s creatures, that is, the contemplation of what God sees as good in them. Man must recognize all of God’s creatures for what they are and establish with each of them a relationship of responsibility. Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 113.
“Each of the various creatures, willed in its own being, reflects in its own way a ray of God’s infinite wisdom and goodness. Man must respect the particular goodness of every creature, to avoid any disordered use of things which would be in contempt of the Creator and would bring disastrous consequences for human beings and their environment.” Catechism of the Catholic Church, 399
It is a responsibility that must mature on the basis of the global dimension of the present ecological crisis… This perspective takes on a particular importance when one considers, in the context of the close relationships that bind the various parts of the ecosystem, the environmental value of biodiversity, which must be handled with a sense of responsibility and adequately protected… Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 466
Buffalo Party of Saskatchewan Stewardship of Creation:
As a matter of principle under its constitution, the party states that:
– the party is rooted in, and all of its activities shall be guided by and conform with environmental responsibility; including appropriate stewardship, conservation, preservation and use of our natural resources for the benefit of present and future generations
Energy & Resources
The party advocates:
– legislation guaranteeing the people of Saskatchewan the right to develop and process their own energy resources, ensuring availability to residents at affordable costs, free from global market pricing and foreign influence or constraints
– adopting a policy that supports all forms of energy and power generation, reflecting an inclusive approach to energy resources
– ensuring that the Saskatchewan government and all crown corporations prioritize grid reliability in their energy policies
– restricting ownership of strategic coal reserves in Saskatchewan to Canadian residents and corporations
– establishing a tax incentive in the form of 100% expensing for tax purposes, for research and development costs related to developing new coal and activated carbon products in the province
– addressing boundary issues and property rights with respect to renewable energy, including wind wake issues, by empowering municipalities to veto the establishment of wind turbine and solar facilities within their jurisdiction or place reasonable restrictions on their location
– ending SaskPower’s monopoly, to allow for private sector power production and experimentation with clean coal technology
– holding public reviews and consultations on mine remediation rules, including the required dollar value of reclamation bonds, clean-up cost estimates, and alternative funding mechanisms such as assigned trusts, every four years
– a tax deduction for retraining costs, up to $10,000, for workers and their spouses in industries directly threatened by federal energy and environmental legislation
– increasing the tax credit for eligible investments to 50%, to support carbon capture and storage (CCS) and increased energy production in the province
Green Party of Saskatchewan Climate Change
The party states that its principles are aligned with the principles of the Global Greens, and include the following respecting Ecological Wisdom:
– acknowledgement that human beings are part of the natural world, and respects the specific values of all forms of life, including non-human species.
– acknowledgement of the wisdom of the indigenous peoples of the world, as custodians of the land and its resources.
– i acknowledgement that human society depends on the ecological resources of the planet, and must ensure the integrity of ecosystems and preserve biodiversity and the resilience of life supporting systems.
To that end the party advocates:
– learning, as a society, to live within the ecological and resource limits of the planet
– protecting animal and plant life, and life itself that is sustained by the natural elements: earth, water, air and sun
– where knowledge is limited, taking the path of caution, in order to secure the continued abundance of the resources of the planet for present and future generations
Conservation & Sustainable Development
The party states that:
– it recognises the limited scope for the material expansion of human society within the biosphere, and the need to maintain biodiversity through sustainable use of renewable resources and responsible use of non-renewable resources.
– it believes that to achieve sustainability, and in order to provide for the needs of present and future generations within the finite resources of the earth, continuing growth in global consumption, population and material inequity must be halted and reversed.
– it recognizes that sustainability will not be possible as long as poverty persists.
To that end, the party advocates:
– ensuring that the rich limit their consumption to allow the poor their fair share of the earthʼs resources.
– redefining the concept of wealth, to focus on quality of life rather than capacity for over-consumption.
– creation of a world economy which aims to satisfy the needs of all, not the greed of a few; and enables those presently living to meet their own needs, without jeopardising the ability of future generations to meet theirs.
– eliminating the causes of population growth by ensuring economic security, and providing access to basic education and health, for all; giving both men and women greater control over their fertility.
– redefining the roles and responsibilities of trans-national corporations in order to support the principles of sustainable development.
– implementing mechanisms to tax, as well as regulating, speculative financial flows.
– ensuring that market prices of goods and services fully incorporate the environmental costs of their production and consumption.
– achieving greater resource and energy efficiency and development and use of environmentally sustainable technologies.
– encouraging local self-reliance to the greatest practical extent to create worthwhile, satisfying communities.
– recognising the key role of youth culture and encouraging an ethic of sustainability within that culture.
New Democratic Party of Saskatchewan Climate Change | Species, Diversity & Wildlife | Energy & Resources | Conservation & Sustainable Development
The party states that:
– for far too long, the province has failed to provide the right balance between resource development and the need to fight climate change. Instead of leading, it is dragging its heels.
– Saskatchewan has an incredible opportunity, with the best wind and solar resources in the country and enormous possibilities in geothermal, biomass and more.
– Saskatchewan is far behind the rest of the country on adapting new technology. Oil and gas is and will remain a strong pillar of our economy, but being ready for the economy of the future demands investments to change our energy mix and protect our environment.
– its top priority is developing Renew Saskatchewan, to create jobs, lower bills and reduce emissions.
To that end, the party advocates:
– moving to 50 percent renewable and non-emitting electricity by 2030, with a legislated target of 100 percent emissions-free electricity by 2050.
– making ambitious investments in energy efficiency to make the province a leader in Canada.
– supporting the protection of wetlands and grasslands.
– empowering people, small businesses, municipalities and First Nations and Métis communities to generate their own power and create a distributed energy grid.
– working with SaskPower to make Saskatchewan a leader in geothermal power production.
Saskatchewan Progress Party Climate Change | Species, Diversity & Wildlife | Energy & Resources | Conservation & Sustainable Development
Conservation & Sustainable Development
To support families and communities, the party advocates:
– doubling the value of all container recycling deposits.
Energy & Resources
To build a strong and diversified economy, the party advocates:
– recognizing the advantages of our unique provincial landscape, and promoting solar panels and wind farms;
– implementing incentives to reduce emissions through programs like the Feed-In Tariff System;
– partnering with the province of Manitoba to create a hydro power grid;
– partnering with Indigenous communities, to allow for local sustainable activities to thrive and be part of the solution;
– investing in research and development at Saskatchewan’s universities on clean energy;
– creating economic opportunities for canola producers wishing to enter the canola-based bio-diesel market;
– working with the private sector to provide electrical charging stations for vehicles at intervals of 100 kilometers on all major highways in the province; and
– pursuing development of a nuclear power generation and/or enrichment facility in coordination with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission and Nuclear Waste Management Organization.
Saskatchewan Party The party states that:
– its 2024-25 Budget provides the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency with a $5.5-million deposit on four airtankers to help manage wildfires in the province. The four land-based aircraft (two Dash 8-Q400AT and two Dash 8-Q400MRE) will replace the current fleet of land-based airtankers (four Convair 580). The first of the four airplanes is expected to arrive in late summer of 2025, with the remaining arriving by the end of 2027. The province will receive federal funding to offset the cost of the aircraft through Natural Resources Canada’s Fighting and Managing Wildfires in a Changing Climate Program.
Energy & Resources
The party states that:
– the Ministry of Energy and Resources and its $53.8-million budget for 2024-2025 will support the province’s growing economy with a focus on Saskatchewan’s world-class natural resources.
– including in the ministry’s 2024-2025 budget is $10 million in funding over 10 years for the Public Geoscience Initiative, which will increase exploration to drive the province’s Critical Minerals Strategy.
– the budget also provides funding for enhancements to help ensure the permitting process for the exploration of natural resources is efficient and effective. For example, in recognition of the important role of critical minerals, the 2024-25 Budget introduces the Saskatchewan Critical Mineral Innovation Incentive for new pilot projects and the complementary Critical Mineral Processing Investment Incentive for new or expanded value-added processing projects.
– private companies have committed to more than 60 large-scale investment projects across the province in recent years – totaling more than $39 billion. These include projects in the agri-value, manufacturing and processing, mining, forestry and energy sectors.
To further encourage investment in the provincial economy, the party’s 2024-25 Budget includes enhancements to the following industry incentive programs:
– Saskatchewan Petroleum Innovation Incentive: extends the application period an additional five years and increases the program funding cap to a maximum of $100 million in royalty credits.
– Oil and Gas Processing Investment Incentive: extends the program an additional five years and increases the program funding cap to a maximum of $500 million in Crown royalty credits.
Conservation & Sustainable Development
Forestry
The party states that:
– its 2024-25 Budget provides funding to accelerate work on the Forest Resource Inventory Project, helping to achieve the Growth Plan goal of doubling Saskatchewan’s forestry industry.
Innovations & Clean Energy
In its 2024-25 budget, the party states that:
– it has extended the Saskatchewan Commercial Innovation Incentive program by one year to allow for a program review, which will include engaging with industry.
– for the Saskatchewan Technology Start-Up Incentive, it has doubled the annual program cap on the amount of non-refundable tax credits that may be issued to $7 million annually; expands eligibility to start-ups in the cleantech and all agtech sectors; and extends the program by one year.
– a new Multi-lateral Well Program for facilitating development of previously inaccessible or uneconomic oil plays and attract increased oil well drilling to Saskatchewan
– the budget further provides a $140-million Clean Electricity Transition Grant (CETG) to SaskPower for use towards in-year clean electricity operating costs, to help maintain affordable power rates for customers.
Nuclear Power
The party states that:
– it established the Small Modular Reactor Investment Fund to support the future development of the province’s first small modular nuclear reactor, which will provide zero-emission baseload power. The fund will receive annual allocations tied to electricity sector revenues, with all investment income earned retained in the fund. By the close of the 2024-25 fiscal year, it is projected the fund will be a $568.4-million asset for the province.
Saskatchewan United Party Climate Change | Species, Diversity & Wildlife | Energy & Resources | Conservation & Sustainable Development
Among its constitutional founding principles, the party states that:
– it commits to environmental stewardship by governing responsible and sustainable exploration, development, renewal and conservation of Saskatchewan’s natural resources in the most competitive and balanced way, while diligently promoting clean air, water and land for provincial residents.
– to the greatest extent possible, it commits to establishing policy of affordable food, water and energy for all Saskatchewan residents.
Points to Ponder Points to Ponder: Stewardship of Creation
Many voices, including scientists, the Vatican, and the United Nations, agree that in order to avoid catastrophic global heating, with resulting unpredictable increases in the number and severity of extreme weather events, loss of agricultural land, particularly in the poorest countries, and collapse of ecosystems, the global average temperature increase must be limited to 1.5 degrees Centigrade; and that to achieve such a limit, emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide (collectively, “greenhouse gasses”, or GHG) must be cut in half by 2030 and brought to zero net increase by 2050. Canada is currently committed is to a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, but according to the Auditor General may not meet that goal. And others wonder whether Canada’s commitment is big enough to be fair to other countries.
The charts below show different aspects of GHG emissions in Canada, using the most recent data available. They provide rich ground for reflection on the application of Catholic Social Teaching. The first chart, labeled “Figure 9“, shows emissions per person in each province, by province, according to the most recent data available. The second, labeled “Table 2”, shows the levels of emissions for various industries as of 2005 (the “benchmark year by which most international GHG comparisons). The third, “Chart 20”, shows the federal government’s understanding of past emissions levels, and predictions for getting to its agreed level by 2030.
- Emissions in Saskatchewan: Figure 9, the per-capita provincial comparisons, suggests that on a per-person basis the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan produce significantly more GHG emissions than any other provinces. Is it fair to say, however, that the people of Saskatchewan are producing more emissions than are required to maintain reasonable lifestyles, either at home or elsewhere around the world? For example, it is understood that the oil and gas industries are significant contributors are important to Saskatchewan’s economy, and that the majority of that production is exported to other provinces and countries, along with Saskatchewan’s potash, agricultural produce, and uranium, to support lifestyles and industries in places other than Saskatchewan – in effect, causing the ‘bad rap’ for emissions caused by use and consumption of those products elsewhere to be dumped on Saskatchewan. If the people of Saskatchewan have been encouraged by foreign customers to develop the oil, gas, potash, uranium, and agricultural industries, is it fair to expect them to suddenly make up the entire difference themselves? Considering the Catholic principles of subsidiarity (each of us is responsible for ourselves) and solidarity (we’re all in this together):
- What, if anything, can or should fairly be done by the people of Saskatchewan to reduce emissions levels?
- What, if anything, can or should fairly be done by the other provinces, and/or the federal government?
- What, if anything, can or should fairly be done Saskatchewan’s oil and gas customers in other countries?
- SaskEnergy has committed to reducing its operational emissions by 35 percent, relative to 2019 levels, by 2030. What sustainable alternatives can be offered in energy production that are both fiscally and environmentally responsible?
- Should you, your parish group, or others consider contacting SaskEnergy or your MLA to offer or discuss alternatives? https://www.saskenergy.com/about-us/commitment-sustainability/our-roadmap-to-35-per-cent-by-2030
- Are just levels of public royalties and other revenue streams associated with Saskatchewan’s emissions being collected and invested back into the province to support cleaner resource development?
- Industrial Emissions: Table 2 suggests both encouraging and concerning trends in various industries. For example, it suggests that Canada-wide emissions caused by the generation of electricity have been reduced by more than half, while significant progress has been made in other heavy industries. On the other hand, emissions in the oil and gas, agricultural, and buildings sectors have continued to rise. What can or should be done about that, bearing the principles of subsidiarity, solidarity, the common good, and the sanctity of life in mind?
- Canada’s Fair Share: Chart 20 seems to present a challenge for all Canadians, wherever we live.
- For example, it is disappointing to see that emissions levels for the first 20 years shown in the chart have remained relatively level, with the bulk of the reductions being predicted for the last 10 years. It seems disappointingly common for curves on social phenomena to show the bulk of the progress in the future, while little improvement has been made in the years since commitments were made. Must that always be so? Assuming that it is true in this case, can or should Canada do better?
- The chart also seems to suggest that even if we meet the 2030 goal as a nation, we all have much work to do beyond that: our nation has committed only to reduce emissions to a point at which we are producing about six times as many emissions as the rest of the world. If that is true, can or should Canada do better?
