- Social:
Columbia University
Climate change and sustainable development advisor at the Earth Institute at Columbia University and Religions for Peace
PROFILE
Tony Annett
Guest
FROM Tony Annett
To the Point
Pope Francis Goes Green, but Will the Flock Follow? Climate change activists have an influential new ally who could bring along more than a billion followers. This week the Vatican held a summit on how environmental crises hurt the poor. A top Vatican official and point person for Pope Francis announced at the summit that increasing use of fossil fuels is disrupting Earth on an "almost unfathomable scale" and cautioned that a "full conversion" of hearts and minds is needed if global warming is to be conquered. The summit is widely seen as a lead-in to the Pope's upcoming encyclical framing the fight against global warming as a moral responsibility -- a first of its kind. Activists hope the Catholic Church will inject the largely secular climate change movement with a spiritual infusion. However, It could put the Pope and the church at odds with conservatives -- Catholics included, some of whom deny the existence of global warming and believe religion has no place in this political battle.
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To the Point
The longest US war: Will Trump send more troops to Afghanistan? The Trump White House is divided over the Pentagon's request for more troops in Afghanistan—where the US has been fighting for the past 16 years. Is there a formula -- either for "victory" or a political settlement? Is there an end in sight for America's longest war?
Left, Right & Center
How was the trip? President Trump's travels got less fun as he went from the Middle East to Europe.
To the Point
Trump plays scolder-in-chief with NATO allies At the opening of NATO’s dramatic new headquarters in Brussels today, President Trump acknowledged that Article 5 — promising that “an attack on one nation is an attack on all” -- has only been invoked one time: in the aftermath of September 11. But the President failed to provide what 27 other Alliance members have been waiting for: a re-commitment by America’s new leader to Article 5. Instead, they got a scolding.