Photograph by Nathaniel St. Clair
Global warming is the biggest challenge of all time. It impacts every living species. However, the inherent dangers are very difficult to comprehend, as such, people brush it off as one more issue in life that will somehow be handled, fixed, no worries, human ingenuity will prevail.
But, what if it’s not that simple?
Stuart Scott, executive producer of Facing Future.TV, which is part of United Planet Faith & Science Initiative founded by Stuart, knows better than almost anybody that it’s not that simple. He is one of the few, the exceptional, to cast aside a comfortable lifestyle to take on the biggest issue of the 21st century.
Along the way, Scott has racked up impressive achievements, one after another after another, bringing the climate issue directly to the heart and soul of the world’s leading religious leadership councils, as well as directly influencing luminaries across the globe.
Of special note, in 2018 he introduced Greta Thunberg (aged 15) to COP24 (Conference of the Parties) in Poland, an overnight sensation, she enlightened the world to the dangers of climate change, especially the youth via her movement called Fridays For Future. His early imprimatur of her courageous efforts in Sweden to influence parliament to tackle global warming literally brought her onto the world stage.
Stuart and Greta at a Fridays For Future march in Stockholm, Sweden.
Scott does not adhere to the norms of mainstream life and culture, though he’s well known and respected within the scientific community as an extraordinarily powerful force behind the scenes, single-handedly moving mountains by initiating and powering ahead his personal crusade to inspire religious leaders of all faiths to pay heed to the forces of nature trapped in the iron grip of a rapacious Anthropogenic era, a remarkable geological age of humongous human footprints now consuming one-and-one-half Earths, likely not sustainable.
Stuart’s motivation runs deep ever since his original commitment to Al Gore’s Oscar-winning “Inconvenient Truth.” He attended Gore’s training courses in 2007. Subsequently, he delivered over 100 presentations in public forums. In a February 2009 letter the former VP wrote: “I commend you for your work, which has contributed to the great increase of awareness and understanding of the climate crisis.” To this day, Stuart remains connected to Al Gore’s team.
All of which served as a backgrounder, inspiring him to attend the climate summit COP14 in Poland in 2008. That exposure launched his trademark Interfaith Declaration on Climate Change of 2009 established to inspire and motivate religious leaders, in concert with scientists, to open doors for a thorough examination of the planet’s dangerously changing climate system, whilst pushing policymakers to find solutions, quickly, without hesitation. After all, ecosystems, especially where nobody lives to see it happening, were already showing early signs of collapse.
His work was enthusiastically embraced by religious leaders Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who, after hearing about Scott’s grandiose plans for betterment of the world, remarked, “I am going to need a clone of myself,” with so many commitments.
Soon after start of Scott’s campaign to blend faith with science in the fight against global warming, accolades arrived. Following his attendance at Bangkok COP14, April 2011, an international press release said: “Man of All Faiths Fights for Climate,” Agence France-Presse (AFP) d/d April 8, 2011, highlighting Scott’s herculean efforts to change the course of humanity: “Scott, a 62-year-old American, who regards himself a man of all faiths, believes the forces of religion can make a positive impact on the tortuous diplomatic efforts to resolve the global warming crisis.”
Scott carried onwards and upwards to COP17 Durban, December 2011 where UN Climate Chief, Chistiana Figueres spoke of the remarkable selflessness of all those who worked to bring the Interfaith Declaration uniting people of all faiths to fight against the forces of global warming.
Subsequently, the UN World Council of Religious Leaders endorsed Scott’s Declaration.
The Holy See and Stuart Scott
Spiritualism and clairvoyance have always been at Scott’s side. Prior to delivering a very special message to Pope Benedict, he prayed at the foot of the cross at the Church of St. Clare to the statute of Saint Francis, murmuring a series of serene ethereal voices, whispering encouragement, words that resonated within Stuart’s mind; he heard words that encouraged him to move ahead, a personal meditation in preparation to deliver the special message to the Pope, requesting his attendance at the upcoming Copenhagen climate conference.
Via invitation to a “Public Audience” with the Pope, Scott was able to pass along a cloth bag containing 200 personal handwritten messages by individuals from around the world, inviting the Pope to COP15 in Copenhagen, December 2009.
Thereafter, “Pulpit Power” became Scott’s byword with determined hope that the world’s religious leadership councils intercede in the most pressing issue of all time, a dangerously changing climate, to challenge this threat that society at large found difficult to embrace and fully understand, yet, a deeply concerning issue for all of science.
Pope Benedict did not attend COP15 but did issue a strong statement. In December 2009, in celebration of the Roman Catholic Church “World Day of Peace,” the Pope, voicing Scott, said: “Mankind needs to rethink its way of life.” Called the “Green Pope,” he suggested “more sober lifestyles” with reduced energy consumption in favor of energy efficiency like solar and proper management of forests. Those closest to Stuart feel he triggered the Pope’s words.
Stuart Scott, similar to heads of state, has influenced, and/or personally met dignitaries across the world, including Pope Benedict XIV, Greta Thunberg, Al Gore, James Hansen, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Ela Gandhi, Christiana Figueres, Cardinal Peter Turkson, Amy Goodman, Dalai Lama, Peter Wadhams, Dahr Jamail, Noam Chomsky, Bill McKibben, and Pope Francis.
He attended 10 of the last 13 Conference of the Parties (COPs) world climate conferences, becoming a regular feature at the venues, he conducted interviews for broadcasting purposes, including use of ScientistsWarning.org, which he founded in order to spread the word of an emerging climate emergency beyond anything humanity had ever encountered.
Clearly, early warning signs of trouble stood out. Accordingly, to move the needle to fix the problem, especially amongst stubborn naïve nation/states, requires divine intervention. Stuart Scott fit that bill.
In 2015 Stuart met Pope Francis in person, coincidentally, it was the same year of the Pope’s major encyclical – Laudato Si (released June 18, 2015) a strongly worded diatribe on Climate and Justice. “Caring for Creation” is one of the seven tenants of Catholic orthodoxy.
Pope Francis, a trained chemist, in concert with his team of scientists, clearly stated: “Climate change is the greatest threat to life our Earth has ever seen… and it is caused by humans.” He described relentless exploitation and destruction of the environment, for which he blamed apathy, the reckless pursuit of profits, excessive faith in technology and political shortsightedness.
“Never have we so hurt and mistreated our common home as we have in the last two hundred years” (Source: Encyclical Letter Laudato Si of the Holy Father Francis)
On December 7, 2020 Scott received an email letter from Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, named by Pope Francis as the first prefect of the Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development and widely regarded as “papabile,” meaning a candidate for election to the papacy. The cardinal’s letter to Scott said: “I have read your mail and the urgent request to have the Pope participate in an interfaith event at Glasgow.”
The cardinal’s letter also referenced Scott’s battle with cancer: “…that it may help and contribute to healing.” Prayers for his recovery are ongoing at the Holy See.
The 2021 United Nation Climate Change Conference aka: COP26 is scheduled for November 1-12, 2021 in Glasgow, United Kingdom. At the meeting, Glasgow will be populated with 25,000–30,000 attendees from around the world.
Will Pope Francis attend COP26 at Stuart Scott’s request?
Scott’s tireless efforts over twelve years of strategic work with the Holy See are coming to fruition more so than ever before via a request by the Pope’s Offices for Mr. Scott to source an intern for an ecological education program for the Holy See.
Ever faithful and deeply spiritual, Stuart Scott carries a small Saint Francis cross and regularly communicates via prayer with Archangels Michael and Raphael.
His widely endorsed Directive brings science and religious faith together, which propitiously led to an unexpected introduction to the dean of climate science, James Hansen, the world’s leading climate scientist and former director of NASA Goddard Institute for Space Science.
Dr. Hansen had avoided attendance to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change meetings, until he met Stuart Scott, who convinced him that his criticism of the affaires would have more cache if in fact he attended the meetings.
The chance meeting of Stuart Scott and Dr. James Hansen blossomed into jointly attending COP21 in Paris in 2015 at the landmark Paris climate accord agreed amongst the nations of the world. At the end, Dr. Hansen dismissed the negotiations as “ineffective.” The conclusion was too political. Nevertheless, Scott convinced him to attend future climate meetings in order to legitimately state his position.
Will Hansen appear at COP26?
For the better part of two decades, Stuart Scott has interfaced with Buddhist monks, Catholic priests, bishops, cardinals, and Popes, Hindu Swamis, Sikh Granthi, Christian ministers and scientists to support efforts to save the people of the world from their own carelessness and ignorance, which, far and away, is the most potent adversary of factual evidence, or the science.
Stuart Scott’s mission is an important one. It is serious work. It is tough work. It is thankless. Yet, he does it, the most challenging thankless work in the world.
Thanks, Stuart!
Postscript: FacingFuture.TV has announced the release of a series of five short films entitled Climate Emergency: Feedback Loops narrated by Richard Gere: https://feedbackloopsclimate.com/
Additionally, FacingFuture.TV announces the launch of a special event on January 9th, 2021 The Dalai Lama with Greta Thunberg with leading scientists discussing Climate Feedback Loops: https://feedbackloopsclimate.com/events/
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Robert Hunziker | Radio Free (2020-12-28T08:01:00+00:00) Religion Meets Climate Change. Retrieved from https://www.radiofree.org/2020/12/28/religion-meets-climate-change/
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