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April 12, 2026As the Roman Catholic Diocese of Raleigh advances its Laudato Si’ Action Plan, much attention has been given to energy costs and infrastructure decisions. While fiscal stewardship is important, our energy choices also carry significant consequences for public health — particularly for the most vulnerable among us.
Electricity generated from fossil fuels emits harmful pollutants, including:
Fine particulate matter
Sulfur dioxide
Nitrogen oxides
Mercury and other toxic metals
These pollutants are linked to:
Premature death
Asthma attacks and chronic respiratory disease
Cardiovascular illness
Neurological harm to children
Lost school and work days
Environmental degradation, including acid rain
Federal analyses conducted by the United States Environmental Protection Agency estimate the economic value of reducing these pollutants. When adapted to North Carolina conditions, the avoided public health and environmental damages equal approximately:
5 to 8 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of fossil-fuel electricity reduced.
To put this into parish terms:
If a parish pays approximately 13 cents per kWh,
then for every $1.00 reduction in fossil-fuel electricity use,
the broader community receives $0.40 to $0.64 in public health benefits.These benefits are not abstract. They accrue primarily to:
Children with asthma
Elderly individuals with heart and lung disease
Low-income communities located near pollution sources
Families disproportionately burdened by environmental harm
For parish leadership, this reframes energy efficiency and rooftop solar not merely as facilities decisions, but as extensions of our pastoral concern for life and human dignity.
In light of Laudato Si’ and Catholic social teaching, reducing fossil fuel use becomes part of our ministry to protect life — especially the lives of those who suffer most from environmental harm.
Energy stewardship is, quite literally, a pro-life public health action.