Across The EUniverse – Number Nine special edition Climate & Energy

Francis of Assisi believed that nature was the mirror of God. He referred to the creatures of the earth as well as the moon and the sun as his brothers and sisters. Francis gave up the cosmopolitical world from which he came to embrace a more simple life. He considered that if he was to love Jesus he had to love all that Jesus created.

Pope Francis is the first pope to name himself after Francis of Assisi. So it is not surprising that he should take up the torch of Francis of Assisi to declare before the United Nations that there is a “right of the environment” and that it must be respected. Many of our concepts of law come from the moral teaching of Christianity even if they have been secularised by humanism. The interplay with morality and law continues. But if there is a right, the question is: who must vindicate that right. Today the big questions facing mankind are how to protect the nature that Francis loved and who should have responsibility for ensure that nature is protected.

Do we have the need to or even the capacity to reject some of the ways of the past and to embrace a love of the earth as Francis did. In other words, how can protect our planet and enjoy the benefits of the skills and changes we have developed since Francis’ time.

Stevie Smith, the English poet in her poem Alone in the Woods takes the view that: Nature is sick at man, Sick at his fuss and fume, Sick at his agonies, Sick at his gaudy mind, That drives his body, Ever more quickly, More and More, In the wrong direction. In this special issue of Across the EUniverse we look at climate and energy, the two themes which are at the crossroads of technology and nature.

Is Stevie Smith right? Are we going in the wrong or the right direction? A number of guest authors have honoured us by the contributions. We thank them profoundly. On. Simona Bonafé, Member of the European Parliament; Dr. Francesco La Camera, General Director in the Italian Ministry of Environment and Territory Protection; Professor Francesca Romanin Jacur in change of the course of Internatinal Envirnmental Law and Sustainable Development in the Statale University of Milan; Dr. Valentina Sansonetti from the European Commission; Dr. Lapo Pistelli, Vice-President of ENI; Dr. Navid Rahbar, Attorney at law, Partner and Director of International Practice Group; Dr. Chicco Testa, President of Assoelettrica; Dr. Fabio Tambone, General Coordinator of MEDREG, Head of External and International Relations, AEEGSI; Dr. Marina Migliorato, Head of Sustainability Innovation and Stakeholders Engagement Sustainability of ENEL SpA. Our colleagues, Ada Lucia De Cesaris, Enrico Toti, Giovanni Moschetta, Elena Bertolotto and Francesca Angelilli, have also contributed in the drafting of this special Edition of Across. We are also happy that Alberto Toffoletto, our Senior Partner, will bring together the ideas of Francis of Assisi and Pope Francis by examining “Laudato Si” the Pope’s encyclical on man’s relationshop with the environment.