The rare encyclical, or teaching letter, expected to promote climate action as a moral imperative could do more to slow global warming than international negotiations this year to limit greenhouse gas emissions, scientists say.
“The encyclical is going to go out to over 1 billion Catholics — that’s a way of getting a message across to a segment of society that the scientific community could never do,” said an excited Jeff Kiehl with the National Center for Atmospheric Research. “I mean it’s just unbelievable.”
Watch: Pope Francis: Global warming a threat and urges action
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Scientists say pope may be the key player on climate change