Environmental activist Tom Steyer: Pope’s climate message may be “most important” — ever

Billionaire environmental activist Tom Steyer says that Thursday’s much-anticipated encyclical from Pope Francis on climate change could be the single “most important” and impactful statement made on the issue — ever. “I view him as an absolutely inspirational world leader … someone who has done an incredible job of staking out moral leadership,” said Steyer, the founder of the advocacy group NextGen Climate, in an interview with The Chronicle this week. “And I think this could be the most important (statement) in the history of confronting climate change.” “He is somebody who has won over more people in the world than anybody … and what he has to say on