Missionary Society of St. Columban

High in the Andes Mountains of southeast Peru, Columban Father Paul Prendergast works in a parish composed of about 70 farming communities around Cuzco, the historic capital of the Inca Empire.

Fr. Paul has worked in these communities for about 20 years, so I was interested in his thoughts on the effects of global climate change on the lives of his parishioners. He first noted that his and his parishioners’ observations are based upon anecdotal evidence, not science. With that said, Fr. Paul says the perception among the locals is that the weather is definitely becoming warmer.

The clearest evidence, he said, is that some farmers now are successfully experimenting with growing corn at more than 11,500 feet above sea level on the sides of small valleys protected by hills and trees. Corn grown at that altitude is unheard of, and, likewise, a local cherry-like fruit, known as capulí, can now be grown in the area.

A farmer indicates potato plants that have been killed by frost.

Fr. Paul and his parishioners say the weather in the past five years has become more unpredictable and extreme.

In 2007, there was absolutely no rain during the dry season that runs from June to October. Then in the midst of the rainy season, in February and March, there were a lot more violent thunderstorms than usual.

Hail ruined much of the potato and barley crops; the broad bean crop was destroyed.

When the weather clears and the sky is cloudless during the rainy season, you can read a book by the light of the moon. These beautiful nights are perfect for destructive frosts. Three such frosts during one week in March significantly damaged all crops.

If the frost is followed by a hot, sunny afternoon that dries both the damaged plants and the land, the crops are stunted at best and, at worst, ruined. The frost affects crops more on the flatlands than on the sides of hills. Compounding the problem is that local farmers rarely work to counter the destruction of the frosts.

Fr. Paul mentioned how orchard farmers in his native New Zealand defend their fruit trees against frost with fires that produce thick, black smoke and by spraying the fruit with warm water at night.

Unfortunately, Peru’s subsistence farmers lack the needed money for equipment. And, they know that frost does not strike every year, so they choose gamble with the weather. The local water supply depends upon the many small creeks running down the valleys of the region. There are no dams, and the region does not rely upon water from melting snow or ice during the dry season.

Even when there is not a drop of rain for four months, there is water in the creeks the locals use for both irrigation and home use. Some crops, such as corn, rely upon irrigation to provide a continual supply of water.

So, where does the water come from? The presumption is that aquifers feed the creeks year around. The mayor of the main parish center in Yanaoca has begun a project to drill for water near the creek that flows through that valley. The people have yet to learn how this might affect what, up until now, has been a reliable water supply.

Fr. Paul’s parishioners do not yet seem overly concerned about the effects of gradual warming and changing weather patterns, but neither do they consider what detrimental changes might come in the next 20 years. How much crop destruction will be wrought by even more violent hail storms, more frequent frosts and longer and more-intense droughts?

Columban Father Peter V. Woodruff first went to Peru in 1967, the same year as his ordination.

Society’s Statement On Carbon Reduction

Editor’s Note: This is an excerpt from the introduction to the Missionary Society of St. Columban’s “Strategy for Carbon Reduction” document, which was developed in September 2007 as the Society’s response to global climate change.

As Christians, our response to climate change has to be based on more than fear and economic self-interest. Climate change is the most serious symptom of a deepening ecological crisis that is rooted in a spiritual crisis of human identity.

Humans have failed to accept the world on the world’s terms. There appears to be an innate desire to break free of the constraints of nature and to let creation know who the boss is. It appears that the Earth is having the last word.

We are called to change the way we think and act. It is a call to an ecological conversion and an ethic of participation and respect for the natural world. This will be an ethic that in humility recognizes our special rational participation in the Earth community as a subject among other subjects. This does not imply equal value, but it does imply respect and reverence for the natural world that the human is part of.

Speaking on September 2, 2007, to young people in Loreto, Italy, Pope Benedict XVI issued a call to action: “Before it is too late, it is necessary to make courageous decisions that can recreate a strong alliance between humankind and the Earth. A decisive ‘yes’ is needed to protect creation and also a strong commitment to invert those trends which risk leading to irreversibly degrading situations.”

In response to the plea of the Holy Father, we are called to recognize in humility that we are participants in Earth processes that reflect the glory of God. Creation does not have value in relation to humans only, but has value in its own right as a reflection of God’s abundance and love.

We have no right to use and abuse it for our own selfish ends. While Columbans are a small group, our attempt to reduce our carbon use is an evangelical sign of our commitment to recognizing that all is gift, and to celebrating and protecting that gift.

By seeking to reduce our carbon use in a measurable way, we stand in solidarity with the poor and with the vulnerable Earth, and we bear witness to the integrity of creation.