Reading the latest encyclical with an eye to actual, concrete steps is like walking a tightrope. As is so often the case when moral concern attempts to see right through a complex of problems on a global scale, the need to simplify must constantly be held back from a false reliance on easy, chunky, top-down “solutions”:
A delicate balance has to be maintained when speaking about these places, for we cannot overlook the huge global economic interests which, under the guise of protecting them, can undermine the sovereignty of individual nations. In fact, there are “proposals to internationalize the Amazon, which only serve the economic interests of transnational corporations”.[24] We cannot fail to praise the commitment of international agencies and civil society organizations which draw public attention to these issues and offer critical cooperation, employing legitimate means of pressure, to ensure that each government carries out its proper and inalienable responsibility to preserve its country’s environment and natural resources, without capitulating to spurious local or international interests.
(source: Laudato si’ (24 May 2015))
