Environmentalism: Global Warming?
Where I live, the temperature in winter often falls below -30°C (-22°F). We wish Global Warming were scientific. Unfortunately for us, it isn't. It is actually
ridiculously unscientific.
From the scientific evidence gathered, there is no indication of a global warming disaster.
What causes the Greenhouse effect?
The Greenhouse effect is caused by Carbon dioxide
(referred to as CO2) and methane gas in the atmosphere. These gases in the atmosphere retain the
heat from the sun.
People, animals, burning of wood and fossil fuels, hot
springs, volcanoes, automobiles, and power plants, among other things, produce
CO2, while plants (especially young trees), ocean plankton, coral, and natural
chemical processes remove it from the air. This keeps a fairly constant balance
on the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere.
Although CO2 and methane levels have increased somewhat, this does not mean it is the fault
of people. Natural elements contribute 200 billion tons of CO2 to the atmosphere annually, while people produce only 7 billion tons - a small
fraction of the total contribution.
Temperature Variations:
The average temperatures on Earth have a tendency to
fluctuate over long-term cycles. Right now, Earth's average global temperatures
are at a cool point. For instance, in the period of A.D. 900 to A.D. 1100,
Earth was considerably warmer than it is today. Scientists refer to it as the
"Medieval Climate Optimum". Notice the word "Optimum" in the name for the era.
As you likely know, the word "optimum" means the best or most favorable degree,
condition, etc. The name well fits the age. This was around the time when the
Vikings established colonies and farms in Greenland, which was then a "Green
Land". The weather was warm enough that they could grow crops in what now is
ice. Whoever named the period "Medieval Climate Optimum" certainly knew that a
bit warmer was better, at least for the colder climates.
Later in the 1300's, the temperature dropped, and the
Vikings were forced to leave, as they could no longer survive in such a cold
climate. The following cool period has been called the Little Ice Age. Around
the middle of the nineteenth century, the Little Ice Age came to a close, and
temperatures began to rise until about 1940, when it leveled off and dropped
slightly.
The most noticeable increase in temperature in the 20th century was before 1940, when people produced much fewer greenhouse gases than
today. Despite this, the climate cooled between 1940 and 1980! This goes to show that people don't have very much
control over the weather.
The Real Thing:
On the news, you might hear that if it warms too much,
the ice at the poles will melt, and our coastlines will rise significantly.
Some countries are getting alarmed about this, to the extent of forcing
factories to conform to new standards, at enormous costs. The environmentalists
of our day are getting all hyped up about this, but this is not, however, what
the experts are predicting. They say that the surface temperature may increase
by 1.5-4.5°C (3-8°F) by the year 2100. This would make it slightly warmer where I live, but I
don't think quite enough to make the Polar Regions melt the way they are saying!
What the Bible says:
As believers in the Bible, we should care for the
world we live in, but we can rest in what God promises in His Word:
While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease. (Genesis 8:22)
As Christians, we know that the earth will get, much,
much, warmer; God will burn the earth with fire.
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the
heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with
fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. (2 Peter 3:10)
We know that God is in control. A non-scientific
theory is nothing to worry about, but like I said before, "Unfortunately for us..."
If you are reading this and are not saved, if you
can't look to a point in your life when you accepted Jesus Christ, you can
accept Jesus as your personal savior. This acceptance of Jesus is explained at
the page Salvation.
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