There was a time centuries ago when large areas of California were hot, parched for lack of water, with few ways for indigenous peoples and Spanish settlers to cool off. But back then, temperatures of 110 degrees F. may very well have been rare. Not anymore. The children in the featured photo are trying to stay comfortable during a heat wave. But take away the water from the fountain given the current California drought. Then, shut down the air conditioning that the children and their families and neighbors enjoy as rolling blackouts deprive them of cool air in their homes. Next, witness the outdoor temperature climbing to record setting highs. And, did I mention the fire storms with their occasional hurricane force winds all across the countryside? We’re going back to the future.
Welcome to the twenty-first century
Other parts of the West are even hotter (Arizona and Nevada for example) and British Columbia is setting record highs all the way up the western coast of Canada. The need for cool air causes electric generating plants to shut down when they can’t meet the demand. The heat evaporates what little standing water there is, and the diminishing ground water increases the temperatures. A vicious cycle. People die by the hundreds from heat-related illnesses while others start to slowly go mad. Some cities see an uptick in domestic violence, others rioting in the streets. Or both.
The East Coast is hotter than normal as well, but the immediate threat is different than what the West Coast is experiencing. The problem here is the rising ocean. Cities and states are already starting to budget for the necessary multitude of miles of seawall construction between Boston, MA, Baltimore, MD and Boyton Beach, FL. The immediate problem isn’t that the oceans will rise six inches over the next fifty years, but that the spring tides, and the mean (average) storm surges, may rise three times that height in the next twenty-five years. And there are indirect effects, too, as far as climate change is concerned. How many saw this video taken last week of flooding in the New York City subway system? Imagine going to work under those circumstances (wearing heels!)
The Earth has had periods of warming before. If not, then why did the glaciers that characterized the last Ice Age abandon large parts of North America that they had conquered with impunity? And there remains little doubt that man contributes to the problem, if he hasn’t caused it, himself.
If there is a solution, it is one without a quick fix. And it will take more than one political party in one country to restore the balance to our planet. This is an inferno of our own making. It is probably not God’s will that we suffer this way. But we need to move quickly, if not for ourselves, for our children, then for the children in the featured photo. Humbling ourselves before our Creator, asking Him for forgiveness for what we’ve done and embracing eternal life through His Son Jesus is a good first step. Working for a better, healthier planet is an important second step.
The need for stewardship should be intuitive to Christians. God has entrusted us to care for this planet and the many-but equally precious–species that were created by His hands. To deliberately destroy this environment for short term gains, to extract finite resources with little thought, to hunt a species to the brink of extinction is the height of folly and arrogance. Our God is a God of life. It is the devil that is the destroyer. When it comes to the environment, which voice are we listening to?
Time is precious
Our elected leaders need to take reasonable, responsible steps to meet the climate challenges. Christians should know that caring for the environment, the biosphere does not come at the expense of personal evangelism or our pro-life stance. If we are going to be pro-life in one area, then let’s be pro-life in other areas as well. But we need to move quickly before we reach a tipping point. Before the West Coast burns to a cinder. Before the East Coast floods. Before we all go mad from the heat.
Feature photo credit pedrosala (Istock.)
Note: A good, easy read on the biosphere is James Lovelock’s book Gaia. While Lovelock does not write from a Christian perspective, there are many consistencies between what he observes and what I understand the Bible teaches. Get it on Amazon if you’re interested.