Monday Morning Can of Worms

Today, I would like to put forth some ideas about global climate change (a fun and light topic for a Monday). In the spirit of full disclosure, this is NOT meant to be a political post. This is just the opinions I have formed after evaluating the data (I am a scientist after all. I like data.). Below are some of the conclusions that I have come to (my personal commentary is in blue). Please leave a comment so that we can have a conversation about this issue.

1. The temperature of the earth is affected by 3 things: solar output (changes in how much heat the sun gives off), the earth's orbit, and greenhouse gas levels. Nearly everyone regardless of which side of the issue they fall on agrees with this observation.

2. Solar output and earth's orbit are not impacted by man. However, greenhouse gas levels can be influenced by human actions. Again, not really a point of contention.

3. Evidence to support a warming trend for earth's climate include the fact that sea level has risen 6.7 inches in the last century (and in the last decade, the rate of rise has almost doubled), global surface air temperatures rose 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit in the last century with the steepest increase in temperature coming in the past 50 years, 11 of the last 12 years ( from 1995-2006) are the warmest since accurate recordkeeping began in 1850, the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets have shrunk in both area and mass, mountain glaciers and snow cover have declined in both hemispheres and in places like the Himalayas, the snow cover may disappear all together by 2030, many species of plants and animals are responding to temperature changes by changing their migration patterns and permanently moving to higher elevations or closer to the poles. Lots of people disagree with some or all of these statements. There are independent studies to both support and discount all of this information. In my opinion, each individual study has to be examined carefully to see how they did the experiment and who funded the work. As a scientist, I know that just about any piece of data can be manipulated.

4. The earth's climate has changed throughout history (there are 7 documented cycles of climate change measured by glacial advance and retreat). Not very controversial. Most people who discount human induced climate change use the argument of cyclical climate change to support their opinion.

5. The rate of current climate change is progressing much faster than any of the previous warming cycles. Again, different studies have different findings. The majority of respectable studies (a judgement call made by me) agrees that the temperature began increasing at a faster rate beginning at a time point that corresponds to the start of the Industrial Revolution.

6. The levels of carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas) are higher now than they have ever been in the last 650,000 years as measured by atmospheric evidence preserved in tree rings, coral reefs, and ice cores. Same deal. Different studies say different things, but this is a general consensus. A source of carbon dioxide that is released into the atmosphere comes from burning fossil fuels (something that we humans have control over).

So...what does all of this mean? Well, to me this means that yes, climate change is cyclical, but humans are doing a pretty good job of speeding things up. Why should we care about this? Well, for several reasons. First, climate change affects a wide variety of things including agricultural yield, species extinction, flooding, availability of fresh water, etc. Secondly, I think that we have a divine responsibility to tend to the earth in a responsible way. God gave us this beautiful garden to live in and instructed us to be good caretakers of it. I'm pretty sure we are dropping the ball on that one. I have no idea what the correct solution to this problem is. However, I take issue with people who contend that global warming is a myth because they disagree with policies and strategies that have been put forth as solutions. To me, the evidence is clear. Global climate change exists and is being sped up by increased production of greenhouse gases. While this is my conclusion, I would encourage everyone to dig and come to their own conclusion.

To end this ridiculously long post, I would like to borrow something my friend Katie said regarding this issue. "As with many other issues, we all allow man-induced conflict and controversy to divert our attention from God’s desires for us; to let man’s interpretation warp a kingdom issue." It's my belief that climate change is a kingdom issue. God wants us to be good stewards of this planet and to do so we must acknowledge and find a solution to the problem of global warming. I will now be stepping down from my soap box.