Pope warns climate change turning Earth into desert, garbage

Pope Francis blesses the crowd as he recites the Angelus noon prayer from the window of his studio overlooking St.Peter’s Square, at the Vatican, Sunday, July 1, 2018. Pope Francis has lamented intensified attacks in southern Syria, asking that people be spared more suffering. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis is urging governments to make good on their commitments to curb climate change, warning that continued unsustainable development and rampant consumption threaten to turn the Earth into a vast pile of “rubble, deserts and refuse.”

Francis made the appeal Friday at a Vatican conference marking the third anniversary of his landmark environmental encyclical “Praise Be.” The document, meant to spur action at the 2015 Paris climate conference, called for a paradigm change in humanity’s relationship with Mother Nature.

In his remarks, Francis urged governments to honor their Paris commitments and said institutions like the IMF and World Bank had important roles to play in encouraging reforms promoting sustainable development.

He warned: “There is a real danger that we will leave future generations only rubble, deserts and refuse.”