First and foremost, I believe this issue isn’t new to any of us. Global warming is in the news, the internet and we can read about it on the newspapers day by day. Evidently, the effect of Global warming has begun to spawn beyond our very eyes and has caused a remarkable change in population and disequilibrium among the habitats of different species, and has affected the society and communities we live in as well. But, the question is this: Is the cause of Global warming truly because of increases in “anthropogenic” greenhouse gases concentration? Are the effects of such greenhouse gases in our atmosphere truly as ALARMING as what the media claim it to be, or should we hear another side of the story?!
According to Arthur B. Robinson, Noah E. Robinson, & Willie Soon (Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine) increases in atmosphere carbon dioxide during the 20th and early 21st century has not shown any deleterious effects on the earth’s climate and weather but has shown a remarkable increase in plant growth. According to scientific data gathered by scientist, evidence showed that there is a direct proportional correlation between the increase temperatures on earth with regards to Solar Activity, as compared with hydrocarbon use which had no correlation at all. Glacier shortening patterns on a graph showed a continuous slope trend which increased consistently without any abrupt change during the 1800’s until the present time, despite the fact that there was an increase in hydrocarbon consumption beginning in the 1950’s. Data also showed that there have been greater rainfalls and decrease tornado activity as compared to previous years. (To fully understand the information stated above, please click on the link which I’ve provided at the end of my blog.)
In understanding Global warming, we also have to understand greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases are gases in our atmosphere that absorb and emit radiation within the thermal infrared range, which all help in determining the temperature of the earth. Though the Sun and water cycle maybe responsible for the weather and energy balance of the earth, without these gases the earth would be so cold that it would be impossible to support life. The primary greenhouse gas responsible for the vast majority of greenhouse effect is water vapor, which contributes 36–70 percent. Carbon dioxide, which contributes 9 –26 percent provides only a tiny fraction of the greenhouse effect. Though burning of fossil fuels has increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, it does not mean that it is the cause of global warming. In fact, higher concentrations of carbon dioxide could actually be a result of warmer temperatures. On Earth, the majority of carbon lies not in the atmosphere, but in the oceans and rocks. Just 0.00035 percent of Earth's atmosphere is made of carbon dioxide.
According to Arthur Robinson and the others, data gathered showed that increase atmospheric carbon dioxide has fertilized plants. Increase Carbon dioxide levels have enabled plants to grow faster and larger and to live in drier climates. As mankind moves some of the carbon in coal, oil, and natural gas from below the ground to the surface and the atmosphere, it becomes more available to living things. We are actually, living in a lusher environment of plants and animals.
From this point, you must be thinking, “are you sure there are more animals now, when the truth is different species is actually becoming extinct?” Ok, I won’t oppose on that fact, that there are species coming to extinction, especially Adelie Penguins of Antarctica, where the population has reduced to about 80 percent and Emperor Penguins whose numbers have set to shrunk from 3,000 breeding pairs to a mere 400 pairs by the year 2100 (that’s a pretty long time from now though!). But just because certain species are on the verge of extinction, does not mean that we are clearly to blame for it. Even fossil records show that species such as the Miohippus and woolly mammoths flourished in changing climates in Noah’s Flood and eventually went extinct on there own. Though extinction is inevitable due to Global warming, it is estimated that only 0.7 percent are expected to disappear by year 2050, not 20 to 50 percent that some predicted. But we have to acknowledge that if increase carbon dioxide is causing more plant growth, then couldn’t we also correlate that animal life would increase proportionally?! And new species of animals can flourish as well. (Uhm… that’s something to think about too, don’t you think?!…)
With the evidence presented and gathered by scientist, we should take a look at the facts first before concluding that global warming is “human-caused”. And with regards to such information, I’m not suggesting that we don’t have to recycle and dispose our waste properly and make sure our environment is beautiful and make efforts to preserve it, what I’m saying is that, as Christians in our community, we have to understand issues like this in a Christian PERSPECTIVE, knowing what is important and what our priorities should be. The implication of what I’m trying to bring out in this article is the same as what Miranda Christian had to say in her article entitled "Global Warming in Perspective" which says and I quote, "we mustn’t place higher priority on the environment as compared to the people who inhabit it."
We clean our surroundings, we take care of our plants and animals, we dispose our trash properly not because of Global warming, but because we want to glorify GOD in everything we do and we want to please HIM. We take care of our environment because He gave us dominion over it and He knew that we would be good caretakers of the earth He created. Instead of blaming the Industrial Revolution for Global warming we should acknowledge that we are blessed by it, with what it has contributed to our environment (if we only knew the facts before we spoke!). As the world puts much emphasis on adapting to new technologies that would limit carbon dioxide emission that would only cause a minute decline in the rise of the earth’s temperature, without regards to the cost: who is most greatly affected by this?! It would be us!!! Economists analyzed that it would be far too expensive to adapt to strategies in cutting carbon dioxide than just adapting to increasing temperature. What would happen to poor countries that would have to abide to such policy? Will they not become even poorer then how they already are?! Outweighing the situation here is very critical, especially when we are talking about lives, we should have our priorities rearranged and be focused on things which are more important; human welfare should take precedence over environmental issues.
Brothers and sisters, let’s not get too pre-occupied with trying to reduce-carbon dioxide emissions and trying to deal with global warming as compared to helping our fellow man. Acts 2:44-45 says and I quote, “All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.”
As believers, let’s get our priorities straight, we aren’t living for this earth in the first place but for the coming KINGDOM of GOD. But a day will come when a true Global Warming will arise, 2 Peter 3:10 says and I quote, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.”
www.petitionproject.org/gwdatabase/GW_Article/GWReview_OISM150.pdf
www.channel4.com/science/microsites/U/ukweather2080/guides/planets.html
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/08/0829_020829_summit5.html http://worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=64734
http://answersingenesis.org/contents/379/am/v3/n4/global-warming.pdf
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