My brother forwarded me info about an article in USA Today's July 26th religion section. The first paragraph had me speechless: 

"The Holy See announced this month that it would become the world's first "carbon neutral" sovereign state by planting trees in a Hungarian national park to offset the carbon-dioxide emissions and energy use of Vatican City."

 We grew up Catholic, and I never thought of the Catholic Church as especially "science based" nor environmentally progressive. Socially progressive, sure - think of Mother Teresa and her work with the poor - but "green"? No way.

The article goes on to say: "In June, Vatican officials announced that the papal audience hall adjacent to St. Peter's Basilica would be covered with photovoltaic panels that will make it possible to heat, cool and light the building exclusively with solar power."

The Church still isn't abandoning it's overall view of people at the top of God's creation. They are "... leery of any environmental policies that might hold back economic development, and they categorically reject proposals that conflict with church doctrines forbidding artificial birth control and abortion."

While the Vatican will not say that Global Climate Change is being caused by humanity, they do agree that it is a fact, and they are willing to do what they can to offset their contributions to it (which, by the way, are all casued by human activities...)