Tuesday, June 24, 2008
The greening of the Vatican (continued)

The Holy See, which last year announced plans to become the world's first "carbon neutral" sovereign state, continues to come forth with ecologically minded initiatives.

The Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People yesterday released its message for World Tourism Day (Sept. 27, in case you didn't know), whose theme this year is tourism and climate change.

In its contribution, the Vatican suggests ways that tourists can make their travels more earth-friendly, including moving on foot, taking less luggage, disposing properly of litter, and planting trees to make up for the polluting effects of vacation.

The letter comes from the same Vatican office responsible for last year's "Ten Commandments" for drivers, which earned derision from even the most pious quarters.

As it happens, another Vatican office is preparing to release yet another Ten Commandments, in this case for the environment.

According to an advance peek provided by Catholic News Service, the newest decalogue promises to be even blander than the Holy See's rules for the road. For instance, number three: "Ecological responsibility involves the entire planet in a common duty to respect the collective good, for present and future generations."

I think it's fair to assume that Strunk and White would have preferred the original set that Moses brought down from the mountain.