The Ballad of Pope Francis
Good Pope Francis had arranged
A conference on climate change,
So scientists could share research
With men and women of the Church.
Now you might not think there’s any harm,
Science and religion arm in arm. –
But we beg to disagree!”
Says the fossil fuel industry,
“We try to hide what’s going on,
So climate won’t get acted upon.
That’ll hurt our profits, and we’re not dumb;
Money really is a god for some.
So we put down scientists, call ‘em names,
Say it’s a hoax, make nasty claims.
But it’s harder, and there’s not much hope
When the guy on the other side is the Pope”.
‘Cause he might just say something like this:
CHORUS:
Get thee behind me! Get thee behind me!
We are not going away! You have had your day!
Get thee behind me!
Enter the Koch Brothers, K-O-C-H, from Wichita…
The Koch Brothers are the devil’s kin,
Play dirty as coal, dirty as sin;
More money than God, and they like to win.
They sent Marc Morano in.
From the Heartland Institute,
Think tank of ill repute…
Now Marc Morano is the kind of a guy
Who likes to hurt people and make ‘em cry.
Crafty & sly, and slimy with vice,
He delights in undoing good things for a price.
Quietly tiptoes in the back door,
Sneaks up to the Vatican floor,
Grabs the microphone, starts to shout,
But the Pope says: “Hands up! I found you out!
It’s time to start saying a spade is a spade
It’s a sin to destroy the things God has made.
Got to care for the earth, the great and the small
Denial’s a sin, and a crime against all.
You see, I’ve learned to recognize
The prince of darkness by the light in his eyes.
There’s nobody here – to deceive.
And one more thing, before you leave:
CHORUS
Now I’ve got to say I admire a man
Who’s not afraid of taking a stand
Get his hand dirty, stand up and fight
Even when he’s dressed in white.
Now the fossil fuel industry, they’ll never learn,
If they get their way, we’re all gonna burn.
And when you consider how much is at stake,
Good people, you’ve got to be smart as a snake.
And remember the things that you see in the news
Are often designed to deceive and confuse
So do like the Pope, no need to shout
Just name their name, and cast them out!
CHORUS
Words & music ©Doug Hendren 2015 Thanks to Nancy Beall for editorial suggestions and Saragrace Hendren for edits and vocals!
What’s it about? It’s based on a true story. Read on… The world is burning, and the merchants of doubt in the fossil fuel industry have for years been preventing us from changing course, through a heavily funded and highly organized program of public deception and political influence. At a time when 97% of qualified scientists accept the fact of man-made climate change (the real number may be much higher), many of our most influential members of Congress are outspoken “climate deniers”. The fossil fuel industry accomplishes their deception by way of many “think tanks”, including the Competitive Enterprise Institute, Manhattan Institute, Heritage Foundation, and their various spokespeople who regularly appear on TV, disguising anti-science propaganda as news. Special mention, however, goes to the Heartland Institute, and to the highly visible Marc Morano. These organizations also try to cultivate an image of respectability and “morality”, while advocating policies which are environmentally suicidal. A Pope who has taken up the issue of climate change directly threatens their public image. As related in this song, Marc Morano really was sent to disrupt a recent meeting at the Vatican, though this time the attempt failed. US churches have begun getting on the climate wagon, recognizing that traditional values of environmental stewardship and social justice are deeply impacted by a changing climate. This movement is about to get a big boost from Pope Francis, who is expected to publish an encyclical on the subject in the coming week. It is very encouraging that China and India are embracing aggressive policies to abandon coal in favor of renewables. In a very disturbing development, however, it has been recently reported that US corporate interests are attempting to sue the Indian government through the WTO, to block India’s renewables goals. One can only hope that this suicidally selfish behavior gets the media exposure it deserves. REFERENCES: Blessed Are the Climate Advocates The Fossil-Fuel Industry’s Campaign to mislead the American People Catholic deniers in Congress Meet the Climate Denial Machine
2024 Addendum: Nine years later, Marc Morano is still in the news, now trying to discredit the offshore wind industry by claiming that they kill whales! He continues to shamelessly peddle disinformation in the service of the Koch Brothers, Exxon and similar interests: Inside the conspiracy to thwart the clean energy transition.
