Climate Change - more

I reflected on global climate change a few posts back. I've continued to think about the issue and would like to download some of those thoughts...

- (this is a Heidi thought) It seems like the Church is getting on board with creation care stuff. For the most part, I think that's great. For example, at Northwest, we use mugs instead of styrofoam cups -- cheaper and better on creation. But the Church is never good at moderation -- she tends to drink in excess at various wells. In the past, instead of challenging Christ-followers to think about issues pertaining to alcohol, she simply said that it was sin to drink. It's possible that we may see the same thing when it comes to creation care in the future. "Do you recycle?" "No." "Hmmm...you sure you're right with God?" I can see it now...

- Earth is a big planet. The solar system is a mammoth system with wide variety and dynamic causes/effects. It's a dynamic system in which we live. There is no such thing as constant temperatures. There is pretty solid evidence to suggest that the plant was much cooler than it is now as well as much hotter than it is now. There were glaciers and tropics in Pennsylvania. Climate change is a part of life on the big blue ball.

- The questions that remain (and are attached to opinion/agendas more than science) involve the rate of climate change and the causes of said rates. There is limited capability for conclusively determining these things. And it certainly requires more than a 50 year spread of research.

- The climate change issue is still tied largely to our own comfort and ultimate preservation. I'm faily interested in my survival and that of my species, so don't get me wrong. But altuism seems to stop when the conversation turns from caring for creation to preserving the way of life as we know it now. The "big scare" from the Al Gore trailer is that we'll lose a bunch of coastline in the world. Granted, that's a huge thing...but just because people will need to move inland doesn't mean that we're all doomed. Especially in America. That is a harder venture for poor nations. But it's not really the end of the world for us to have to adjust the way we do life. And keep in mind, this is just one paragraph and simply a reflection of my personal thoughts...it's not science...it's just reflection.

- I had the chance to talk with someone who is a scientist and, though not directly involved with issues of climate change, is pretty informed and well-read on the subject because it impacts his sphere of study. In short, he knows a heck of a lot more than me and has a good basis for his opinion. I enjoyed that conversation and am glad we had it. Here are some thoughts from that conversation:

- sometimes recycling does more harm than good. I put my plastic in a blue box. It gets picked up by a guy driving a huge truck, which runs on fuel. My plastic then needst to be driven to a recycling center to be processed. How much fuel was used to trasport my plastic? What are the emissions from that truck? If I didn't recycle, they wouldn't use that extra truck and cause those extra emmissions. Is it worth it? For me, it probably is. The truck that picks up my recycling drivings less than five miles to the center. In my area, it's probably worth it. In other areas, it's probably far less worth it. It's worth thinking about. How far does your recycling have to go? Is that worth it for you?

- this guy affirmed some of my thoughts about the big earth and the dynamics that have been in play for many many years.

- sometimes we respond to creation more to make ourselves feel better than to do what is really best for creation. For example, the recycling scenario where it produces more emmissions to drive the material to the recycling center...but we feel better for putting out Sunday paper in the blue box and don't think about the impact of the big trucks that drive the stuff.

Again, these are all just thoughts and reflections. I'm not a scientist. I don't plan to make a movie or run for President. It's a conversation that I have the luxury of having because no one in my family is dying of AIDS or disentary, I have clean water to drink, and relative safety in my community.

Peace,

Matt