Cosmos Host, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Supports Pope’s Climate Encyclical

Popular astrophysicist, Neil deGrasse Tyson has displayed public support for both the Pope and the Vatican in a series of tweets from his personal account: “Yes, it’s possible to be a supreme holy figure yet still know what you are talking about regarding the Climate.” Citing the 4-century old cohort of astrophysics that have remained a staple of the Vatican, Tyson confirmed not only the science informing papal action, but the role of faith leaders in climate talks.

Joining Tyson are many climate scientists who affirm that faith leaders are crucial to the building of positive climate action in America. Texas Tech climatologists and Evangelical Christian, Katharine Hayhoe considers faith leaders to play a crucial role in communicating the moral imperative to act on climate change. Faith leaders hold a unique position that enables them to inform their congregation(s) on moral issues such as climate change – further protecting God's glorious creation while simultaneously ensuring the welfare of the world's most vulnerable people.

 


Neil deGrasse Tyson’s Message To People Who Think Pope Francis Shouldn’t Talk About Climate Change

By Emily Atkin for Think Progress

When Pope Francis released his encyclical on the environment earlier this month, he faced some criticism from people who said religious leaders do not have the correct expertise to speak authoritatively about climate change.

Acclaimed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson is not one of those people. 

On Tuesday, the author and host of the late-night talk show StarTalk tweeted that despite being a religious figure, Pope Francis is more than qualified to talk about scientific issues. In a series of tweets, Tyson noted that the Vatican Observatory employs dozens of scientists who inform the pope on issues like climate change.

“Yes, it’s possible to be a supreme holy figure yet still know what you are talking about regarding the Climate,” he tweeted.

This isn’t the first time a scientist has spoken in defense of the pope. Independent climate scientists who reviewed the encyclical following its publication found little to argue with in terms of its scientific language. 

During that review, Rutgers University professor of environmental sciences Anthony Broccoli said the Pope’s status as a religious leader had nothing to do with whether he could get the science correct.

“Pope Francis doesn’t have to be a scientist to arrive at these conclusions,” he told ThinkProgressat the time. “All he would have to do is consult the extensive reports on climate change that have been written by the world’s climate scientists in a process organized by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. These reports have been written to inform policymakers and stakeholders about the state of the science and they are a reliable source of information.”

Aside from having a cadre of scientists by his side, Pope Francis has his own science background, achieving a technician’s degree in chemistry before becoming a priest. Indeed, in his latest encyclical, Francis stressed that religion and science can enter into an “intense and productive dialogue with each other.” 

Tyson seems to agree with that idea, too. Last year, while hosting the show Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, Tyson drew attention for his implications that faith can help science blossom by producing “fantastic, world-changing ideas.“

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