It’s Like This

For the umpteenth time, someone asked me if I really thought climate change was caused by humans burning fossil fuels. In shear frustration, I said, “It’s like this. If you heard a gunshot and then you opened the door in front of you to discover: 1) One person pointing a pistol at another. 2) The pistol is still smoking. 3) The other person is falling to the ground with a gunshot wound. What would you conclude?” That’s the level of confidence in the case supporting anthropogenic warming, i.e. man-made climate change. There are peer-reviewed scientific studies that have essentially traced the atoms from oil and coal in the ground into the atmosphere. We know where the CO2 comes from and we know what it does. The real moral question for us right now is what are we willing to do about it? 1. Drive less, drive fuel efficient vehicles 2. Fly less 3. Eat less meat 4. Plant trees 5. Teach your children and grandchildren 6. Eat more local foods 7. Change your thermostat to save energy 8. Insulate your home The real theological question for us is why do our churches remain silent in the face of a planet-changing disaster? Back in the days of Eisenhower, a real conservative was a person who wanted to conserve the world for future generations. As Eisenhower conservatives, we are not doing a very good job right now.