The Apostolic Exhortation "Laudate Deum" was given to the press yesterday morning in the magnificent setting of the Vatican Gardens in Rome. Academics, scholars, activists, representatives of civil society and the world of culture unanimously called for the approval of a document that, by incorporating the encyclical Laudato Si' from eight years ago, urges institutions and nations to take immediate action to combat the effects of global climate change. "I find this apostolic exhortation to be extremely necessary for governments to care about climate change, and the voice of those who support the importance of this struggle is a voice crying out in the wilderness." This was said by Nobel laureate physicist Giorgio Parisi, who was among those who spoke at the Vatican to remark on Pope Francis' document. According to Parisi, "the text begins with a description of a series of accurate scientific facts. This scientific incipit in a papal document may seem strange, but the Pope himself specifies that he is forced to use this premise due to some 'contemptuous' opinions raised within the Church. The document has the advantage of being written in simple language that anyone can understand: as much as we risk hiding them, the signs of climate change are becoming more visible." Another "extremely important" topic in the apostolic exhortation that follows the encyclical on integral ecology "Laudato Si'" is the emphasis that "we must not ridicule those who speak of global warming even if there are periods of great cold: it is an important scientific point, even these cold waves are an effect of global warming, it may seem a paradox but it is a scientific fact. Thus we arrive at "the important problem of denialism, many people, especially politicians, try to hide these facts that are however before the eyes of all, we must put an end to the irresponsible mockery of presenting this issue as romantic or nave, it is ridiculed exclusively for economic interests while we must admit that it is a human and social problem for which it would be necessary for everyone to be involved because to suffer more the effects of climate change are the poorest". Carlo Petrini, sociologist, activist, and Slow Food supporter; Indian scientist, activist, and environmentalist Vandana Shiva; and American writer Jonathan Safran Foer participated in the discussion in the Vatican Gardens.
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