In this issue of Catholic Update, author Joan Brown, O.S.F., discusses environmentalism, care for the earth and global warming, all of which have now become hot political issues. In this Update, Brown looks at how the Church has understood creation through the centuries. Brown writes, "Religious traditions and their followers can be real drivers of change in the world by offering counsel on the meaning of life and by teaching moral attitudes that shape lifestyles and behaviors." She explains how the 14 Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy can serve as a guide for care of creation.