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Sri Lanka was heavily dependent on hydro-electric power until the 1970s, a time when the country's rulers even spoke of supplying electricity to India as well.
But with industrialization and an open economy initiated in 1977, Sri Lanka realized it could not rely on hydro-electric power alone to meet the needs of its people and industries.
What was proposed was the introduction of fossil fuel and having power through diesel power generation as a supplement which proved expensive with the fuel going up in price thanks to hikes initiated by OPEC nations.
Other alternatives were discussed in the 1990s with coal being favored as it was cheaper. Possible power plant sites proposed were in Hambantota, Trincomalee and Norochcholai. In 2000, it was agreed a plant would be built in Norochcholai.
The Catholic Church in Chilaw Diocese opposed it vehemently because it would affect the famous St. Anne's Shrine at Talawila.
Environmental hazards were also raised concerning poor farmers and fishermen in the Kalpitiya peninsula, whose livelihoods would be affected.
Then in July 2000, President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga abandoned plans for the Norochcholai power plant due to opposition from Catholics.
Credit for the anti-Norochcholai campaign went to just one prelate, Bishop Frank Marcus Fernando, as well as his clergy and flock.
Other prelates of the bishops' conference had remained silent, saying it was a local problem.
Political power changed hands in 2005 and the Norochcholai scheme was revived, but this time with Chinese backing and was called the Lakvijaya coal power plant.
Construction began in 2007 and by Sept 2014 the third stage was completed producing 900 MW. The first stage was commissioned in 2011.
During these eight years, the coal plant had several breakdowns that was blamed on faulty machinery that was installed because of alleged corruption by political leaders.
The EFL- Environment Foundation (guarantee) Limited, filed an action suit against the plant in the Supreme Court in 2016.
The plant was "hazardous to both human health and environmental sustenance as it contained heavy metals such as mercury and radioactive nucleoids. The impacts of the coal power plant not only affect those living in its immediate vicinity but pose a threat to future generations as well" they claimed on their website. The Supreme Court is still to give a judgment on the case.
In 1891, Pope Leo XIII came out to address social issues ailing society. A tradition of social teachings began with papal encyclicals, which one commentator, called were the "Best Kept Secrets of the Church."
Things improved with Vatican II and the groundbreaking "Constitution on the Church in the Modern World" published in 1965. This document gave Church people the green light to involve themselves in cultural, socio-economic and political issues to work for the common good in their respective societies.
Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith has certainly done so, especially since the Easter bombing tragedy where he has sought for the truth to be told surrounding that carnage and justice for the victims.
He has also spoken out on several other social issues including education and religious minorities having equal rights as majority Buddhists under the constitution.
He has spoken also of clergy from all religions not dabbling in politics but reported news items did not specify if this included party-politics.
He cannot say the clergy should be not involved in common political action, while all should shun divisive politics.
Immediately after the presidential election, Cardinal Ranjith spoke out again when the Minister of Power and Energy Mahinda Amaraweera visited him a few days before Christmas in 2019.
Cardinal Ranjith criticized the damage being done by the Norochcholai power plant, saying the facility was creating unnecessary pollution and health problems for people living on the Kalpitiya peninsula.
The natural environment is badly affected by dust that comes from the coal-fired power plant at the expense of farmers' vegetables.
At a subsequent Cabinet meeting held in early January, Amaraweera proposed a 600-MW power-producing plant at the same location, ignoring the cardinal's plea to scrap it.
The minister instead accused the previous government of not increasing the power-generation needed for the development of the country.
By doing so he rejected the cardinal's clarion call to stop using coal when much of the world is looking end its use and seek cheap environmentally friendly alternatives like wind and solar power.
Fossil fuel consumption in Sri Lanka has been on the increase, a fact that does not augur well for the country. The global trend is to phase out the use of fossil fuels by way of giving way to renewable energy sources which would be helpful to the environmental situation of the island nation.
However, those in power, officials and engineers are harping on about coal production because of the commissions they receive from various donors at the expense of ordinary peoples' lives.
What Cardinal Ranjith is promoting are the principles outlined in Pope Francis' 2014 encyclical "Laudato Si".
The cardinal should continue campaigning, in the same vein, against coal and the many other environmental problems affecting people, especially the poor.
He, together with the other bishops, clergy, Religious nuns and brothers, as well as lay leaders must come out of their pastoral cocoons and work for the betterment of the people and the environment.
Father Reid Shelton Fernando is a prominent human rights defender. He was a university lecturer and former chaplain of the Young Christian Workers Movement of the archdiocese. He is well known in Sri Lanka for his writings and commentaries on social and political issues.
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