Pope Benedict XVI is often called the "Green Pope" because of measure he took to promote ecology. He urged people to be good stewards of creation, and spoke passionately about how climate changes adversely affect the poor.
At the Vatican, he worked to make the city-state more green. Benedict used a partially electric hybrid popemobile, and installed solar panels on the Vatican's Paul VI Audience Hall (where the pope hols general audiences in the winter and during bad weather).
During his papacy, his talks frequently focused on protecting the Amazon in South America. He denounced factory farming, and spoke out against overconsumption of the earth's goods. His 2009 encyclical, "Caritas in Veritate," stressed responsible stewardship over nature and the need for simpler lifestyles.
The former Cardinal Josef Ratzinger was elected pope on this day in 2005.
- Little White Book, Diocese of Saginaw