Christiana Z. Peppard, Ph.D., is assistant professor of theology, science and ethics at Fordham University. Born in California’s Central Valley, her focus on water ethics is informed by the constraints of arid places and the fact that water is essential for all forms of survival. She is the author of Just Water: Theology, Ethics, and the Global Water Crisis. Find her on Twitter: @profpeppard. https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/contributor/christiana-z-peppard/rss en Agriculture Climate & Weather Thu, 12 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Christiana Z. Peppard https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/community/2015/11/12/the-catholic-church-isnt-just-praying-for-rain https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/community/2015/11/12/the-catholic-church-isnt-just-praying-for-rain In his recent encyclical on the environment, Pope Francis declares that “fresh water is an issue of primary importance” and makes it clear that equal access to clean water should be considered its own kind of “right to life” — for both people and wildlife.