The Folly of the Climate Change Debate

While the government is busy attempting to ram a climate change bill down our throats, a bill that will ultimately dramatically increase our energy costs, the controversy surrounding the legitimacy of greenhouse gases contributing to global warming looms in the background. Personally, I think any climate change we are experiencing has little to do with the emission of CO2 gases. There is legitimate reason to believe that any warming is related to sun spots, not the emission of CO2 gases by man. It is amazing how anyone offering evidence calling into question global warming is discredited and facts to the contrary is suppressed. Dooms day hype from the media is nothing new and has been occurring for years. In fact, in this ABC news article, a professor of Atmospheric Science from the University of Alabama recalls being told during his early college years that the world would run out of food and energy by the year 2000. And weren’t we told at one time that the earth was cooling?

What is really tragic is that many evangelicals have gotten caught up in all the hype.
But we need not fear all the doomsday talk. Scripture tells a different story. God is not going to let the earth fall apart. We need not fear any notion that the polar ice caps are going to melt and flood the earth. Following the Genesis flood, God has already promised not to destroy the earth with a flood again. This subject was discussed by John MacArthur at this year’s Shepherd’s Conference (Brian McCrorie was there and wrote about it on his blog).

21And when the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, the LORD said in his heart, "I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. 22While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease." (Genesis 8:21-22, ESV)

While it is true that the earth will eventually be destroyed, this time by fire, this will not take place until God allows it to happen at the Day of Judgment (2 Peter 3:7). The believer will never face this.

Colossians 1:16-17 tells us that Jesus created all things and that in Him all things are held together. The whole universe is sustained in perfect balance to support life. I think we can be assured that God has things under control.

16For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (Colossians 1:16-17, ESV)

While I am not at all against the development of alternative energy – anything that will ease our dependence on foreign oil is a good thing – we need to exercise better judgment and not react to all the hysteria. Certainly we could benefit from energy sources that produce less pollution. However, I doubt that we are going to be able to develop enough alternative energy to completely replace any need for oil and coal.

So let’s drill for more oil and forget all these initiatives to penalize the use of fossil fuels that will only stall economic growth and ultimately lead to poverty and hardship. I’ll place my trust in God and His truth, rather than the folly of man’s wisdom!