Where the Catholic Church stands on science and the environment

This morning, I awoke to Pope Francis I's inaugural mass.  The new Pope said some hopeful things this morning, as the Associated Press reported in Pope: Protect Environment, Weak and Poor.

Pope Francis urged the massive crowds gathered for his installation Mass to protect the environment, as well as the weakest and poorest people of the earth.

Yes, but how well can one protect the environment and the poor without dealing with reproductive issues?  That's enough to convince me to share Where the Catholic Church Stands on Science from Discovery News.

The Catholic Church has a conflicted history with the scientific world. But with the election of Pope Francis I, can we expect that to change? Laci Green shows us how far the Church has come, and how far they have left to go.

Francis's stand on the environment isn't new, as Benedict also called climate change a threat.  As for their stance on what Laci called "medicine and public health," I'm not optimistic, even if Francis has a chemistry degree.  At least I don't think I'm going to call him Pope Palpatine.