Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Tulsa, the chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and an outspoken skeptic of man-made climate change, issued the following statement Thursday after Pope Francis called on Congress to protect the planet. The pope has previously warned that carbon emissions could severely damage the environment.
Here is what the pope said to Congress on Thursday:
"The right use of natural resources, the proper application of technology and the harnessing of the spirit of enterprise are essential elements of an economy which seeks to be modern, inclusive and sustainable. 'Business is a noble vocation, directed to producing wealth and improving the world. It can be a fruitful source of prosperity for the area in which it operates, especially if it sees the creation of jobs as an essential part of its service to the common good' (Laudato Si’, 129). This common good also includes the earth, a central theme of the encyclical which I recently wrote in order to 'enter into dialogue with all people about our common home' (ibid., 3). 'We need a conversation which includes everyone, since the environmental challenge we are undergoing, and its human roots, concern and affect us all'(ibid., 14).
"In Laudato Si’, I call for a courageous and responsible effort to 'redirect our steps" (ibid., 61), and to avert the most serious effects of the environmental deterioration caused by human activity. I am convinced that we can make a difference and I have no doubt that the United States – and this Congress – have an important role to play. Now is the time for courageous actions and strategies, aimed at implementing a culture of care' (ibid., 231) and 'an integrated approach to combating poverty, restoring dignity to the excluded, and at the same time protecting nature" (ibid., 139). 'We have the freedom needed to limit and direct technology' (ibid., 112); 'to devise intelligent ways of... developing and limiting our power' (ibid., 78); and to put technology 'at the service of another type of progress, one which is healthier, more human, more social, more integral' (ibid., 112). In this regard, I am confident that America’s outstanding academic and research institutions can make a vital contribution in the years ahead."
Here is Inhofe's response:
"As the Pope stated in his address, Congress has an important role to play in how the United States cares for our environment. When Congress and a White House administration work together, we can address environment policy in a way that improves Americans’ livelihoods while also protecting and even bolstering future economic opportunity for our nation.
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