The real reason so many scientists seem to be finding evidence for global warming is a simple one: governments want to make carbon dioxide a taxable commodity. The public would never go for that, of course, so all the government needs to do is convince people that global warming is real. Start indoctrinating the voters when they're children, and convince them that the very planet itself is in mortal danger with (of course) government intervention. What the global warming lobby completely ignores (and, both the media and the education system fail to get out to the people) are two basic facts.
1. The Earth goes through natural heating and cooling cycles. Minute fluctuations in the Earth's orbit, or in the angle of the Earth's axis; volcanic eruptions; asteroid impacts; oceanographic current changes; all of these, and thousands of other factors, of which science still only has a superficial understanding, have played a role in heating and cooling the Earth for millenia. What is now the Sahara Desert was once covered with glacial ice - in 8000 BC. Or consider this graph, which purports to show the mean temperature of the Earth across all time. That minor red uptick at the very right? That is the "catastrophic climate change" that has governments racing frantically to regulate industry out of existence.
2. The Earth simply cannot be manipulated by human intervention. It's entirely possible that environmental damage - even permanent and irreversible environmental damage - can be done on a micro scale (e.g., if someone pours toxic sludge into a lake continuously until the entire lake is dead), it simply cannot be done on a macro scale. Consider this: the Earth is over 70% water; and of all the available land, a very small percentage of it is habitable. The means that humans, comparatively, occupy a tiny fraction of the Earth's available space. To suggest that humans can in any way impact the planet as a whole is utterly ludicrous. A single volcanic eruption - particularly one as large as the Krakatoa eruption - could pump as much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere in a few days as has been put there by humans in decades.
So does this mean that humans have free reign to abuse, exploit, and deplete the Earth with complete abandon? Of course not! Consider Psalm 24:1, "The Earth is the Lord's, and everything in it." The role of man is to be a [i]steward[/i] of the Earth. Here are some ways we can strive for stewardship, without going full-tilt into environmental hysteria.
1. Strive for sustainable energy. I am 100% in favor of alternative energy, but for reasons you might not suspect. I have no problem with burning coal for electricity, or with burning gasoline for cars. But I support alternative sources of energy, such as wind, solar, nuclear, etc., as well. Why? Because we will eventually run out of coal (and natural gas and any other natural resources). These tings exist in finite amounts, and it may take us decades, or it may take us centuries, to completely deplete them. But they will be depleted, and we'll need a backup plan. The same is true for oil; we will eventually run out (to say nothing of the fact that we buy much of our oil from terrorist-supporting, Middle-Eastern despots), so we need to find alternative means of powering our cars. However, these solutions need to be borne out by the free market, not by government.
2. Strive for sustainable food production. The current, industrial model of food production brings with it a host of problems, some of which are downright terrifying, but all of which are matters for another column. It also provides the world with an abundance of food; in fact, there is plenty of food around the world to feed the hungry. Modern famines aren't caused by lack of food; they're caused by government interference in food production and delivery. However, thanks to the fact that largely the same crops are grown worldwide, the lack of biodiversity will eventually take an irreversible toll on the world's food supply. This crisis is what has spurred the creation of a seed vault to preserve a wide variety of plants for future generations to grow and harvest. Take yourself out of this equation by simply choosing to buy local. The tomatoes you buy at your town's farmer's market weren't grown on an industrial farm and picked with slave labor; they were grown in your community, by farmers who care. And they taste better!
3. Strive for conservation. No one wants to see the Amazon rainforest disappear; or to see gorillas go extinct. Nor does anyone want to see beautiful rivers and valleys given over to pollution. But the way to see to it that these things don't happen is not through government intervention; it's through the free market and through charity. Wildlife sanctuaries are popular tourist destinations because people are willing to pay to see wild animals in their natural habitat. Therefore, wildlife sanctuaries are profitable, and thus the market has the incentive to create more sanctuaries, thus more profit, and more animals saved. Contribute to conservation efforts through charitable contributions, or through supporting businesses that make conservation a priority. But keep government out of the equation.
Being a Christian does not excuse one from their duty to the environment. However, we need to aim for balance. There's no call to completely abandon all of the modern-day advantages we have of abundant, cheap energy and food in the name of "saving the planet." But at the same time, our duty as Christians requires us to treat the Earth with the respect it deserves. If we do that, the Earth will continue providing for us, as long as we allow it to.
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