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Prudence and Global Warming


The simple believe anything, but the prudent give thought to their steps. (Proverbs 14:13)   
          Global warming is in the news again, or at least in my feed again. Recently, one person scolded me because I mentioned an article that says that 97% of climate scientists supposedly claim that man-made global warming is taking place don’t actually claim that it. I was scolded for not trusting scientists. I said I hadn’t read the article, which refuted the popular theory. That’s why she scolded me, but she went on to add that I should trust scientists. Yesterday, someone posted a meme saying that scientists have once again landed a ship “on a dime” on Mars, so we should trust scientists about global warming. I’ve had people tell me they just can’t understand how I could reject evolution. Did I need evidence? Just look around, and trust scientists. If the scientists said it, it must be true because scientists, it seems, are incapable of personal biases, error, or political agenda. What’s the phrase? The science is settled and those who disagree are not good scientists (which is a tautology, by the way.) 
        So here’s my take on global warming. I think we need to give prudent thought to the issue. Is the earth warming? It seems to be. Why is it warming? Is it because of human activity? Is it because it’s been warming up since the last ice age? Is it just part of a cycle? Maybe to all of the above. Supposedly, science says it’s all about the carbon dioxide. Maybe, but the earth system is far more complex than that. There are a lot of discoveries that have been made within the last fifty years that are only beginning to be thought of in terms of the whole system, but we are supposed to trust scientists – without hesitation – to solve the problem using their computerized models. I find the idea of turning the earth into a police state run by scientists more than a little scary, especially given the supposedly high percentage of scientists who don’t include God in their formulae. I am too aware of prophecy to think it a good idea to turn control of the world over to any individual or group, and especially a group that leaves God out of the equation. Who is more likely than scientists to decide to put a numbered RFID chip into a hand or forehead? An issue more central to the current question – how do we know that the scientists have come up with a right answer? Yes, engineers can land a spacecraft on a dime on Mars, but if they get something wrong, we might have to move to Mars to survive, and I’m not sure we’re ready for that. 
          So if a CEO wants to put ten million dollars toward saving the environment, I’m all for it, but don’t place us under the authority of scientists, and be careful if you want to bet my life that they’re right.

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