The Global Warming Debate

What is the real story about global warming? And what do science, government policy and, particularly, the Bible have to say about it?

Science

Very few people are able to observe a human-caused carbon dioxide molecule in the atmosphere to see if it is indeed trapping heat on the earth’s surface. To determine whether the world is warming because of carbon dioxide emitted by human activity, we have to rely on the observations of scientists.

However, there is no single scientist who has been able to independently and comprehensively test global warming theory in its entirety. Every scientist relies on observed data and established laws that have accumulated over the years through the work of other scientists. Scientific theories are continually being revised and refined through this collaborative effort.

Most Bible-believing Christians are ardent dissenters when it comes to the scientific consensus on human origins. Christians believe God created life and everything else; science teaches that our origins are explained by natural processes involving extemely long periods of time—and chance.

Obviously Christians don’t dismiss everything that science presents them with: they’ve embraced the advances of science, using technologies such as the internet, offset printing and air transport, all of which are built on proven science theory.

But most Christians will place the Bible above science, deviating from science when there is a biblical reason to do so.

There doesn’t appear to be any biblical basis for rejecting a theory of human-caused climate change. In fact, the Bible describes the demise of Planet Earth, saying it will “wear out like a garment,” that “the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time” and that ultimately God will destroy “those who destroy the earth.” So the idea of harmful human-caused climate change may be entirely consistent with both Bible and science.

Climate change theory fits neatly with the biblical view of end times. Trust in the Bible doesn’t rely on global warming being true, but the idea that the world cannot keep going as it is, is consistent with the biblical picture of end-time tumult in the physical, social, religious and political spheres (see Matthew 24).

While climate change theory isn’t perfectly unified and bullet-proof, there remains a broad scientific consensus that there is human-related climate change, with human-related carbon dioxide emissions being key.

Government policy

Some, Christians among them, also feel uneasy about a “tree-hugging” ideology, which they see as aligned with the left of politics. They therefore find it hard to embrace any left-leaning politician or policy, such as a carbon tax. And regardless of their view of climate change, they see carbon tax as the government’s foot in their door, of unwelcome intervention that may extend to restriction of personal freedoms. These concerns may well be real and warranted, but such policy-oriented concerns shouldn’t be the basis for scepticism in respect to the reality or otherwise of global warming.

That one’s personal contribution to carbon dioxide emissions is comparatively small should not be an excuse for doing nothing at all. All humankind, and most of all Christians, have a responsibility for their environment, for God said so in Genesis (1:26–29).

The Bible

Believing the Bible and being true to it is paramount, thus the obligation to be fair and proactive in environmental protection (see Revelation 11:18) and social justice (see Micah 6:8), while also embracing productivity and creativity (see Ecclesiates 9:10).

An authentic biblical approach to how we should live is attractive and will make sense in every sphere. Not only does the Bible offer spiritual solutions to problems of sin, of which a destroying, profligate and high consumption lifestyle is but one element, it offers a wholistic approach to health, work and lifestyle generally.

Within the current climate change debate, Christians have a great opportunity to demonstrate that a biblical world view has much—even more—to offer than any segment of society, for wholistic, Bible-based Christianity includes care for the planet God created for us and all that is in it. And regardless of our personal standpoint on an obviously devisive issue and its political and economic outcomes, we all should tread more lightly on the earth, as did Jesus some 2000 years ago.

Key contentions against global warming with responses from science

For detailed analysis for all these arguments and many more, go to www.skepticalscience.com

Analysis of broad policy options for addressing global warming