The encyclical "Laudato si: On the Care of Our Common Home" might have scored public relations points among environmentalists last year, but according to a new study, it didn't score any points with Catholics or the broader U.S. population.
Sam Wood writes: "Pope Francis’s call last year for 'swift and unified global action' to reverse climate change fell largely on deaf ears and closed minds, according to a study published Monday, and may indicate that in the U.S. politics holds stronger sway on this topic than religious authority."
The study, published by researchers at the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania, "speaks to the relative power of politics and religion in shaping climate change opinions," according to the conclusion presented in the paper. The researchers even went so far as to argue that the move "backfired" by "devaluing the Pope's credibility on climate change" among Catholics.
Pope Francis released the encyclical "Laudato si: On the Care of Our Common Home" to immediate praise among environmentalists and planners in June 2015. It's worth noting that among the outpouring of media attention granted to Pope Francis's encyclical, Ben Adler predicted that the message would likely fall on deaf ears in the United States and around the world.
FULL STORY: Penn study: Pope's plea for climate action 'backfired'
No Papal Blessing for Cap-And-Trade
Governments must take correction actions to address climate change, warned Pope Francis in his June 18 encyclical, but cap-and-trade, which places a price on carbon emissions but can lead to speculation, is not one of them.
Pope Francis Taps Planners to Help Solve Climate Change
Pope Francis's unprecedented focus on climate change and the environment includes strong messages for planners and designers of the built environment.
Gov. Jerry Brown: Committed to Fighting Climate Change
Reporting from a two-day conference in Toronto where states and provinces organized to tackle climate change in advance of a UN conference, political reporter Chris Megerian profiles Gov. Brown's climate change commitment in five articles.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?
In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving
Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.
Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan
Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.
Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding
The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Clanton & Associates, Inc.
Jessamine County Fiscal Court
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service