First Global Cooling!
In a recent NOVA program, the first half of was dedicated to exploring global warming, while the second half was to explore what scientists call global cooling. I only saw the last half, and was convinced of the global cooling phenomenon. They said there are two man-made phenomenon occurring at the same time (warming and cooling), but the warming factor is apparently stronger than the cooling, resulting in a net gain for warming.

Here’s what I learned of the cooling phenomenon: While carbon-dioxide increases are believed to be a factor in global warming, recent discoveries show dust particulates, likewise from combustion, are a factor in global cooling. Small dust helps clouds form, and more dust means more cloud cover. Also with this “extra dust” it takes longer for enough water to attach to a single particle and form rain. The smaller water/dust droplet floats around longer acting as a mini-mirror reflecting sunlight back to space (hence cooling). The carbon-dioxide keeps what still gets through in for longer (hence warming). The warming trend has been slightly more powerful than the cooling. Further, we are getting better at reducing particulates but not carbon-dioxide. This means the canceling effect of the cooling is expected to diminish, so future decades could get warmer faster.

For argument, accept for a moment global warming is real and increasing at a high rate
Ok. For sake of argument let’s assume that next year scientists provide irrefutable and conclusive evidence that even the most skeptical among us must accept this as a fact: global warming is occurring as a result of man’s activities, and where we warmed by 1 degree in the last 100 years, we will warm by 3 degrees in the next 100.

If it’s a “fact”, how would God expect us to react?
I won’t be the one to settle the “is it or is it not happening” debate. The point here is what does God expect a responsible citizen of the earth to do if he has reason to believe he may be contributing to something with potential to damage the earth? Should we go to extreme lengths to halt CO2 emissions? Should we ignore it and hope it goes away? Should we say, “Oh well, there are more pressing social and spiritual ills to concentrate on, and Christ is coming soon anyway so what the heck?” Even if we are not personally convinced, or if we do not believe it is “a big deal”, how should we react to those who are honestly concerned?  This is what I want to explore.
 

The wonders of modern life were inspired largely by America. American creativity is now worldwide, but that creativity is still fueled by fossil fuels
I found myself born into American society, and to have a “normal life” in this unique habitat one ends up consuming more fossil fuel than many others. Indeed despite your best efforts to avoid it, you cannot live a realistic life here in any other way. Many will judge this a bad thing, or even an “evil” that must be repented of at any cost. I happen to think the economic, creative, wonderful, discovery engine that is America is itself run in large part by piston and turbine engines that at this point still happen to run largely on coal and oil.

At the turn of the twentieth century it was not “evil” to discover and mass-produce a way to propel human beings that was superior to a horse. God purposefully created plentiful, burnable resources knowing they would be the easiest for those recently liberated from the dark ages to tap. With that they could create more, do more, learn more, live more. This is what He intended.
 

Good things often have side effects
None of today’s great wonder-drugs are without side effects, and neither was the industrial revolution. Was it “evil” that air and water became so polluted back then as to cause a crisis? I’m sure there were those who acted wickedly in their responsibilities to the earth, but I’m sure many more were just happy they could take the family to Yellowstone, and most companies were happy to provide a desired service at a reasonable profit. It took time for the side effects to become apparent, so how can we really judge the past harshly when no one could see the future?

Don’t kill the goose!
In time, negative side-effects became apparent. The natural and good lives our parents and grand-parents were pursuing (heating their houses, traveling so far so quickly, in-door plumbing) was coming with large-scale consequences (dirty, soot-filled air; lead and smog in the air; and cancerous fish from unfiltered sewage). Once they became aware, they did not irrationally close the factories or trade in their jalopy for a steed. But nor did they just give up and say, “too bad, so sad.” NO! They argued for awhile over the level to which they should impose on their lifestyles and the economy, but in the end they gave a valiant effort to improve. They adopted catalytic converters, insisted on better mileage standards, put scrubbers on power plants, etc. They didn’t foolishly kill the goose that laid the golden eggs because the goose required daily feeding, smelled bad, and made a mess, but they did begin to clean up the coop a bit more and put the goose on a more healthy diet.

Life will always be this way. Few good things come entirely devoid of side-effects. I’m no expert on Kyoto, but I gather it would be too much too quick for the USA to absorb. It also looks more like a subtly crafted weapon that the jealous have devised to cut down a high achiever (if you can’t compete, strap burdens on the achievers and then it’s easier to compete).

So what does God think of our SUVs?
It is wisdom that we not run faster than we have strength. But if there is strong reason to believe we may be contributing to significant climate change, even if the effects of that change are unknown (could mean very little, but may mean a lot), might not God accept at least a measure of attention to the matter from each of us? What can an average citizen do? Perhaps changing the channel from American Idol to the NOVA special on the science behind global warming would be a good start, and would get a wink and a nod from God. Perhaps one might look in their heart and ask if the military operations vehicle they drive, or the McMansion they heat, is tied to real needs or is it more a reflection of pride, vanity, or a selfish consumption of money and resources.

I believe God gives us each stewardship over a certain amount of money. He hopes that we won’t scorn the widow’s mite and make a show of “generosity” when in our hearts we’ve really made a paltry attempt to purchase peace of mind and the praise of men. I’m sure He is happy for us when we attain financial security and a measure of the good things in life; but I’m also sure there comes a point when he expects us to seek creative and meaningful ways of assisting those less fortunate than ourselves.

Maybe a “big car” is the right car; what else can we do?
Back from the side track… I’ve got no problem with people weighing everything together and concluding that a Suburban or four-door Ford F-350 is the right and a righteous vehicle for them. Clearly this is true maybe more often than it is not. Still, we might find that some of God’s direction seemingly conflicts, such as “care for your family, but care for the garden (earth)”. In addition to all the good reasons to own a big vehicle (such as large family, part of your job, maybe it’s safer, maybe you go boating, etc.), I think it is incumbent upon us to look at the good reasons to own something smaller too (like the national security of being free from the Middle-East, less “global warming”, more money for worthy causes, etc.).

We could also be supportive of government supported research into new ways to “clean up the coop”. I say government not because I’m a fan of taxes – far from it – but because I think that while there is market incentive to clean up the coop, break our addiction to oil, it has not proven sufficiently strong to actually do much about it very quickly – hence taxes will help us get to good results faster. Further, there is little in the way of market incentive that would naturally discourage us from enriching those who hate us and will kill us if they can buy a big enough bomb.