So What if God Wants a Heat Wave?
I woke up this morning to find that the temperature outside was 60 degrees Fahrenheit. This was mildly surprising, but not shocking. The weather has (of course) been intemperately mild for more than a decade. Yesterday was unseasonably warm. It's almost gotten to the point that I expect a periodic break from the cold, even in the middle of winter. While I have to admit that I find this new phenomena pleasant, it seems to me to be an obvious case for concern. The previous record for today was 60 degrees, but today the high is predicted to be 65. I would have to be completely superficial to enjoy it without a second thought. Given the tone of many people who make offhand comments about the weather, I'd have to guess that quite a few of them have decided not to worry about what it means.
It could be a matter of resignation. After all, what can one individual do about global warming? It's not as if human activity will grind to a halt if I lose sleep over climate change. In fact there is a large proportion of the United States that still believes that rising temperatures are merely part of a natural cycle. Their argument is that we are foolish to think that we can have an effect on the Earth's functioning- we are just too small. (Incidentally, a lot of these same folks are pushing a foreign policy that could lead to a "nuclear winter"). Then there are the people that simply deny that the average temperature is rising at all, despite the factual data that clearly demonstrates that it is. They back up their beliefs by pointing out the conclusions of a small group of politically-motivated scientists that claims that climate change is an illusion. There is always going to be the dissenting voice.
Even among the population that accepts the proposition that human activity has caused global warming- the majority puts this problem low on the list of priorities. They may have gone to see Al Gore's documentary, but they're too busy facing daily challenges to engage in any activist work that could call the attention of politicians to the situation. Many of them are trying to figure out how to pay their bills in a time of increasing economic uncertainty. Still there are folks who get hit hard by the reality of climate change, and for them the effects are very immediate. Yesterday tornadoes swept through the Midwest and South, killing at least 27 in Arkansas, Tennessee and Kentucky. The amount of property damage caused by these storms is formidable. Of course these tragedies echo what we saw a few years ago with Hurricane Katrina.
Sadly there are few observers that make the connection between the growing intensity and frequency of natural disasters, and the behavior of "man".
The fact is that society seems to be becoming more and more out-of-touch with the environment. People in America are less active in outdoor activities. NPR reports that the number of citizens that engage in fishing, hiking, and camping is steadily decreasing every year. Hunting is the only wilderness pursuit that remains constant (1 in 10 Americans still do it), and that behavior is only dubiously aligned with a "Good Shepherd" philosophy toward nature. In short, not only do we ignore our natural resources- but we actively despoil them. The idea of the Earth as a living organism is not widely taught, whether in schools or in the media.
Perhaps it really doesn't matter whether the "bio-system" rejects humanity as a parasite. In the long run, the universe will remain relatively unchanged by our departure. The circumstances are not dire from a Christian perspective, because adherents look for their eternal reward in Heaven- not in Eden. Wealthy Americans meanwhile are diverting resources into space technology. Who can forget Dubya's announcement that we are going to put a colony on the Moon? Maybe we will be successful in fully exploiting this planet's resources to the extent that we can hop on the next inhabitable sphere as our atmosphere deteriorates. Anyway, it's not like a bunch of Americans don't enjoy the balmy weather in the meantime. And if the oceans rise, and New York is swallowed up by the sea- it's just God's punishment for the widespread immorality they practice in that modern-day Sodom.
It could be a matter of resignation. After all, what can one individual do about global warming? It's not as if human activity will grind to a halt if I lose sleep over climate change. In fact there is a large proportion of the United States that still believes that rising temperatures are merely part of a natural cycle. Their argument is that we are foolish to think that we can have an effect on the Earth's functioning- we are just too small. (Incidentally, a lot of these same folks are pushing a foreign policy that could lead to a "nuclear winter"). Then there are the people that simply deny that the average temperature is rising at all, despite the factual data that clearly demonstrates that it is. They back up their beliefs by pointing out the conclusions of a small group of politically-motivated scientists that claims that climate change is an illusion. There is always going to be the dissenting voice.
Even among the population that accepts the proposition that human activity has caused global warming- the majority puts this problem low on the list of priorities. They may have gone to see Al Gore's documentary, but they're too busy facing daily challenges to engage in any activist work that could call the attention of politicians to the situation. Many of them are trying to figure out how to pay their bills in a time of increasing economic uncertainty. Still there are folks who get hit hard by the reality of climate change, and for them the effects are very immediate. Yesterday tornadoes swept through the Midwest and South, killing at least 27 in Arkansas, Tennessee and Kentucky. The amount of property damage caused by these storms is formidable. Of course these tragedies echo what we saw a few years ago with Hurricane Katrina.
Sadly there are few observers that make the connection between the growing intensity and frequency of natural disasters, and the behavior of "man".
The fact is that society seems to be becoming more and more out-of-touch with the environment. People in America are less active in outdoor activities. NPR reports that the number of citizens that engage in fishing, hiking, and camping is steadily decreasing every year. Hunting is the only wilderness pursuit that remains constant (1 in 10 Americans still do it), and that behavior is only dubiously aligned with a "Good Shepherd" philosophy toward nature. In short, not only do we ignore our natural resources- but we actively despoil them. The idea of the Earth as a living organism is not widely taught, whether in schools or in the media.
Perhaps it really doesn't matter whether the "bio-system" rejects humanity as a parasite. In the long run, the universe will remain relatively unchanged by our departure. The circumstances are not dire from a Christian perspective, because adherents look for their eternal reward in Heaven- not in Eden. Wealthy Americans meanwhile are diverting resources into space technology. Who can forget Dubya's announcement that we are going to put a colony on the Moon? Maybe we will be successful in fully exploiting this planet's resources to the extent that we can hop on the next inhabitable sphere as our atmosphere deteriorates. Anyway, it's not like a bunch of Americans don't enjoy the balmy weather in the meantime. And if the oceans rise, and New York is swallowed up by the sea- it's just God's punishment for the widespread immorality they practice in that modern-day Sodom.
Labels: Christian Right, George W. Bush, Global Warming, NPR, Political Rant
posted by Merge Divide at 6:22 PM
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