SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On June 18, Pope Francis will issue his highly anticipated encyclical, or teaching document, on climate change. He will call on all Catholics to help lead an educational, economic, and political push for action to mitigate man-made warming of the earth, which has the most devastating impact on the world’s poorest.
Santa Clara University, as a Jesuit, Catholic university committed to justice and sustainability. has earned national rankings for its sustainability leadership, integrating justice and sustainability into campus operations, curriculum, student life, and community engagement. SCU has numerous experts on campus to discuss the encyclical from many angles including:
- its theological importance of the encyclical and its relationship to Catholic social teaching over time
- the climate science behind the encyclical
- the array of practical solutions to climate issues underway in developing countries
- ethical considerations for individuals, institutions, and governments
The University is also planning a forum and related activities starting in November to explore the moral, ethical, and economic imperatives of climate change.
Deborah Lohse (dlohse@scu.edu/408-768-6898) or Tina Vossugh (tvossugh@scu.edu/408-554-5126) of SCU Media Relations can help journalists reach any of the experts or contacts below:
THE THEOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE OF AN ENCYCLICAL AND POPE FRANCIS’ “MORAL IMPERATIVE” ON THE ENVIRONMENT
Michael McCarthy, S.J., is executive director of the Ignatian Center for Jesuit Education at Santa Clara University and teaches The Christian Tradition. He can discuss the theological and Church-wide significance of an encyclical, including how congregations across the world have responded to past such documents on topics like economic, Church and social issues. Fr. McCarthy can be reached at mmccarthy@scu.edu or 408-554-6917. **Available for on-air interviews on June 17 and June 18 with advance notice.
Thomas Massaro, S.J., dean of the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University, is an expert in the history and trends behind Catholic social thought. He can discuss how the encyclical fits in with other Catholic priorities, how it relates to past papal encyclicals, as well as the growing Catholic emphasis on social responsibility. He can also address questions of the influence of “liberation theology,” or the Latin American-based pastoral prioritization of the poor. Fr. Massaro can be reached at 510-549-5040 or tmassaro@jstb.edu. **Available for on-air and other interviews in Berkeley the week of June 14.
Sally Vance-Trembath is a lecturer in religious studies at Santa Clara University. Among other topics, she is knowledgeable about the history of Catholic popes -- including their papal encyclicals -- and their use and influence on the church over time. She was formerly vice president of Voice of the Faithful, the lay organization that was formed to respond to the abuse of children by clergy and the leadership crisis in the Church. She has appeared frequently on television and radio to talk about Catholic issues. She is reachable at svancetrembath@scu.edu or 408-551-3185. *On June 17/18, available by phone only.
Keith Warner, OFM, is a director for the Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship at Santa Clara University, who can discuss the influence of Francis of Assisi on the Pope’s encyclical, and has personal experience addressing climate mitigation in Mexico, Zambia, Uganda, the Philippines, and Kenya. He has co-taught the short course Thinking Ethically About the Environment at SCU. Brother Warner has a Ph.D. in environmental studies from UC Santa Cruz and has published five books, including Care for Creation, a Franciscan Spirituality of the Earth, and has researched theologies related to the natural world. He can be reached via e-mail kwarner@scu.edu or via Deborah Lohse of SCU Media Relations (408-768-6898 or dlohse@scu.edu). **Available for on-air or other interviews week of June 14, with advance notice.
Lisa Fullam, associate professor of moral theology at Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University. She says critics are wrong to accuse Pope Francis of improperly acting as a climate scientist, because in fact a longtime tradition of Catholic magisterial teaching is to dialogue with experts. lfullam@jstb.edu or try Deborah Lohse of SCU Media Relations to schedule an interview (408-768-6898). **Unavailable on June 17, and available by e-mail/phone on the 18th.
Paul Crowley, S.J., religious studies professor at Santa Clara University who teaches Catholic theology, can discuss the role and importance of encyclicals in the Catholic faith. He can be reached at Pcrowley@scu.edu; (408) 554-4542. **Available for on-air on June 17 but not June 18.
SCIENCE: CLIMATE SCIENCE BEHIND THE ENCYCLICAL
Ed Maurer, professor of civil engineering at Santa Clara University, is an expert on the effect on regional water resources from climate change, and served on California Gov. Schwarzenegger’s Climate Change Technical Advisory Group. He spent six months in Chile collaborating with the Centro de Cambio Global on climate change and water supply issues, and he was one of 21 Google Climate Communication Fellows gathered to find more effective ways to communicate climate issues. Prof. Maurer, who speaks some Spanish, is available at emaurer@scu.edu or 408-554-2178. **Available by phone on a limited basis June 17; available June 18 for on-air interviews.
Iris Stewart Frey is chair of the Department of Environmental Studies and Sciences at Santa Clara University. She researches environmental issues that affect the water cycle and water supply, including shallow groundwater pollution issues and surface water processes that are related to climate variability and climate change. She can be reached at (408) 551-7186 or istewartfrey@scu.edu.**Available for on-air interviews June 17 and 18.
Stephanie Hughes is a lecturer in the Department of Environmental Studies and Sciences at Santa Clara University. She is a registered chemical engineer with more than 20 years of broad technical experience in air and water quality, including pollutant source characterization, chemical fate and transport, water and wastewater treatment, and regulatory permit compliance. She can be reached at sehughes@scu.edu or 408-554-2313. **Available for on-air or phone interviews June 17 and 18.
Hari Mix is an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Studies and Sciences at Santa Clara University whose research examines past climates. He advises student research and teaches a course on climate change. He can be reached at hmix@scu.edu or 408.551.3423. **Available 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. PT on June 17 and 18.
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR INDIVIDUALS AND INSTITUTIONS ARISING FROM THE ENCYCLICAL
Kirk Hanson, executive director of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University, can discuss the novelty and monumentality of the Pope issuing a moral imperative to the world regarding climate change. Prof. Hanson is preparing an online educational module for Jesuit educators on the ethical dimensions of climate change. Hanson can be reached at kohanson@scu.edu or 408-554-5319. **Available for on-air week of June 18.
David DeCosse teaches Catholic social ethics and is director of campus ethics programs at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University, and is helping convene a campus-wide symposium on the moral, ethical, and economic imperatives of climate change. The symposium will be held in Fall 2015. Dr. DeCosse can be reached at ddecosse@scu.edu or 408-554-5715.**Available for on-air week of June 14.
Brian Green is assistant director of campus ethics programs at Santa Clara University, and teaches a class on climate change in the School of Engineering. His research interests include ethics, theology, and science. He can be reached by e-mail at bpgreen@scu.edu or by phone, 408-554-7890. **Available by phone only through June 17, unavailable June 18-21.
UNIVERSITY RESPONSE: HOW SANTA CLARA (and other Jesuit Catholic institutions) ARE RESPONDING TO THE CLIMATE CHANGE ISSUES IN THE ENCYCLICAL
Thane Kreiner, Ph.D., is executive director of the Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship at Santa Clara University, which provides fully-funded mentoring and training programs to social entrepreneurs around the world. Over 360 social entrepreneurs have participated in its programs with approximately half of these entrepreneurs working in poor communities to create resilience to climate change – including solutions in sustainable agriculture, water for drinking and food, and clean energy.
“The Pope’s call to prepare the planet’s 3 billion poorest people for the impacts of climate change can be answered by combining Silicon Valley’s entrepreneurial acumen with the Jesuit tradition of serving the poor: through social entrepreneurship,” said Kreiner. “To amplify our impact, SCU has teamed up with more than 24 Jesuit and mission-aligned organizations to share our collective business acumen and resources with social entrepreneurs on the front lines of climate change.” Dr. Kreiner can be reached at tkreiner@scu.edu. **Available for on-air the week of June 14.
Campus Sustainability Programs / Reactions to the Encyclical
Lindsey Kalkbrenner is director of Santa Clara University’s Center for Sustainability, and is responsible for engaging the entire campus around a culture of sustainability. During her almost-10-year tenure as SCU’s sustainability leader, Santa Clara has achieved a 58 percent diversion rate, reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent per person, and integrated sustainability into almost 800 courses. She can be reached at lkalkbrenner@scu.edu or 408-554-2369. *Available for on-air interviews most of the day June 17 and 18.
Student Interest and Reaction
Hannah Maryanski is a graduating senior at Santa Clara University and an expert in SCU's climate neutrality goals and ethical approaches to climate neutrality. She is an Environmental Ethics Fellow with the Markkula Center this year. She can be reached at hmaryanski@scu.edu.
About Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University, a comprehensive Jesuit, Catholic university located 40 miles south of San Francisco in California’s Silicon Valley, offers its more than 9,000 students rigorous undergraduate curricula in arts and sciences, business, and engineering; master’s degrees in business, education, counseling psychology, pastoral ministry, and theology; and law degrees and engineering Ph.D.s. Distinguished nationally by one of the highest graduation rates among all U.S. master’s universities, California’s oldest operating higher-education institution demonstrates faith-inspired values of ethics and social justice. For more information, see www.scu.edu.
