Monday, December 10, 2007

Global Warming: Some reasons not to care

I had a conversation today with a young man. The topic of global warming came up, and it seemed to me from his facial reaction that he was not convinced that it was anything to be concerned about. So, I noted his apparent skepticism to him. He affirmed my suspicion: as far as he could see, there was no reason to be concerned.

I pointed out that the fact of global warming was reasonably established by various scientific communities. I also acknowledged that to what degree human effort could turn it around, more, to what degree human activity was causing it, was still being debated within the scientific community.

His first response to that was: what difference does it make? It won't affect me.

I am a bit older than this young man. I told him, rather passionately, that I planned to live a long time and that even though I'd be a very old man in the 50 years predicted to be our frame of reference for global warming unchecked to kick in, it would indeed affect him. It would affect my children who would be in the prime of their lives at the time (I like to think that middle ages are prime of life!).

On this score, he said something that left my jaw hanging open: None of it mattered. God would take care of global warming, because, god has a plan.

To my question of "just what if you are not right about this and spending some time doing the 15 or 20 things that any of us can do to have positive effect on the environment is the thing to do" his reply was simple and final. "I'm not wrong."

He's got the whole wide world, in his hands.

So, we don't need to care. It won't affect us. God has a plan and will take care of global warming.

Most disturbing to me? I don't think this young man is terribly alone in his attitudes.

Not convinced by his attitude? I hope not. Here's a place to find easy, practical steps that can make a huge difference in the human impact on the environment.

http://www.climatecrisis.net/takeaction/whatyoucando/


Bob

5 comments:

Ali said...

That is upsetting! But sadly, not so shocking. For some reason, a lot of Christians seem to think that only small, local issues deserve their attention. The very same people who would consider it a "Christian duty" to volunteer at the local soup kitchen or to contribute to the collection plate each Sunday, for example, somehow think that problems of global scale and import are out of their hands, even when similarly small, simple steps really can make a great deal of difference... I just hate when people use "God" as an excuse for their own laziness and apathy!

Then you have the people who aren't just indifferent to global warming, but welcome it as a sign that the world is headed right for that End of Days they're so eager to witness. Those people scare me.

Dana said...

I have encountered this as well...only usually it comes in the form of "the rapture will take place soon, so we don't need to worry about environmental problems". Its very sad that people use their religious beliefs as an excuse to not change their behaviors and make a difference.

Willow said...

I would have said that in the bible, if he was indeed Christian, God said to take care of the garden and earth and the animals.
To love thy neighbour. Plants are living things. Loving the people around you includes helping them to be fed. without being able to grow crops, animals and huamns will starve.

People like him make me angry, although I shouldn't judge, it really does bug me that people really don't care about the environment.

Sorry for the rant. =P

Matthew said...

Bob,

Thanks for the post. I meant to read it back when you told us of it on the AODA list but I just didn't get around to it during the holiday season.

I have to admit I didn't know much about global warming until I watched Al Gore's movie. Even then I didn't really get into the ideas until I started walking in the path of Druid studies. Now that I am aware it seems so obvious to me and yet everywhere I go I encounter people exactly like this guy. Either they don't buy into it or they just don't care. It baffles me how a person could be so blind and even more when a person knows it to be true but ignores it completely.

bw

Dan said...

The Logical progression of thought...
First, you have to prove that the earth is warming. And not just in a warming trend.
Second, that if we are indeed in a warming trend, that warming is a bad thing and why. Third, that man has any control over it. And if so; why not make it warmer?
Forth, that man can somehow stop it. .
None of these things have been proven.
What we can do is stop increased socialism and the mysticism that produces it. The progressive sanctioning of our own victimization by our elected leaders who use the "sky is falling Chicken Little" scare tactics to cause us to victimize ouselves, for we are all sure to die from the impending revolution oon this horizon, long before we die of heat exhaustion.