His lack of education is more than compensated for by his keenly developed moral bankruptcy.
- Woody Allen
I find the debate over the reality (or not) of global climate and change and (if it’s real) whether or not it’s caused by the activity of man to be patently silly. There are a couple of different ways for a person gifted with the ability to think critically to evaluate this argument:
First, it’s hard to credibly argue against the reality of global climate change when 97% of climate scientists have coalesced in agreement that it is, in fact, quite real. While it’s difficult to point at individual natural phenomena with an eye towards an “AHA!!” moment, when one looks at trends, it’s difficult to ignore the plethora of anecdotal evidence. There’s the more than four-year-long catastrophic drought in Syria, the wild swings in hurricanes and other natural disasters, and the undeniable increase of the Earth’s average surface temperature, among other observable phenomena, that lend credence to the argument that the Earth is warming. As the level of carbon monoxide in the atmosphere continues to increase to ever more dangerous levels, one has to wonder where the tipping point is. When will it be too late to take action to prevent what appears may well be a looming catastrophe? When will we have dawdled for so long that our window will have closed?
Second, even if you don’t believe the overwhelming evidence supporting the reality of global climate change, what’s not logical about taking common sense steps to reduce our impact on the environment? What is so wrong with the idea of reducing greenhouse gas emissions? How does reducing deforestation in the Amazon not benefit the world? If you call yourself a Christian and believe our home planet to be a gift from God, why would you not want to treat it with care and respect?
As sea levels continue to rise and coastal areas face the reality of eventually being underwater, are we to stand idly by and do nothing…because we don’t believe in the reality of global climate change? Science doesn’t give a damn what you believe; there’s ample evidence showing our environment is being changed, and not for the better. Even our Joints Chiefs of Staff have identified global climate change as the single greatest risk to the security of the Homeland. As extreme weather patterns increase, droughts and other extreme weather consequences will only continue to become more frequent, costly, and dangerous. Syria hasn’t had a decent wheat harvest in four years, which has driven millions into cities and increased unrest throughout the country, increasing pressure on already scarce resources and prompting the government to crack down on dissent. The resulting civil war has killed thousands and driven millions from their homes, many fleeing to Europe and beyond in the hope of finding a better life.
In the meantime, American politicians on the Right continue to fiddle while Rome burns. Chained to an ideology that refuses to acknowledge the validity of science when it doesn’t mesh with their agenda, some in Congress refuse to even discuss global climate change. Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, Congress, securely in Republican hands, refuses to face reality because it’s not supported by their talking points. Three of the top four GOP Presidential candidates (Trump, Rubio, and Kasich) have made it clear that they will renege on the commitments made by President Obama at the recent Paris climate summit. Ted Cruz hasn’t specifically addressed the commitments made by our government, but he’s made it crystal clear that he believes global climate change to be a hoax perpetrated by Liberals bent on promoting a radical Left-wing agenda whose ultimate goal is to rob good, God-fearing, patriotic Americans of their freedom and liberty.
Again, even if it you don’t believe in the reality of global climate change, why wouldn’t you want to take actions that are better for the environment? Why wouldn’t you want to do everything possible to ensure that the world we bequeath our children is in the best condition we could possibly leave it in?
Why not do the right things…if for no other reason than it’s the right thing to do- for the planet, our future, and in the interest of generations to come? Sometimes, taking common sense action is just the right thing to do. Isn’t it time we stopped looking at things in the short-term and took a longer view? This is the only world we have; common sense would seem to make it clear we can’t keep treating our home like an ashtray.
It’s time we did the right thing and erred on the side of ecological preservation, don’tchathink? There’s no other honest, logical choice to be made. If we destroy this planet, where do we go?
I don’t know about you, but I’d rather not find out.
