The August 13 issue of Newsweek magazine carries an impressive story about the length to which well-paid spin-meisters will go to deny the overwhelming scientific consensus that global warming is a real and present danger to the earth and its inhabitants, and getting more dangerous all the time.
Those who deny global warming, of course, are those who stand to profit from the increasing extravagant use of oil and other fossil fuels, or who profit in other ways from activities that threaten the planet.
The article demonstrates how conservative "think tanks" (translate "propaganda incubators") have carefully developed strategies to derail any U.S. action on global warming by trotting out contrarian scientists who deny global warming in order to broadcast a message that the science behind global warming is uncertain, or to claim that the unmistakable temperature trends are just part of a natural cycle.
Don't think for a minute that such scientists are not rewarded for their contributions to the big-money shell game.
The facts, for those who are willing to confront the evidence, overwhelmingly indicate that human activity plays a major role in global climate change that could wreck the world for our children and grandchildren, even as it contributes to drought and suffering in many parts of the world already.
Sadly, some conservative Christian groups, blindly loyal to their political heroes, have followed in the parade, casting doubt about human responsibility for the global disaster-in-the-making. Fortunately, many evangelicals are beginning to take more proactive positions.
The Bible is very clear in teaching that God entrusted the earth to humans and told them to "fill the earth and subdue it" (Gen. 1:28). That doesn't mean humans are to devastate the earth and use it up: the context makes it clear that the earth is given into our care as good stewards of its resources.
The Bible also makes it clear that economic and social justice are near the top of God's agenda, and any actions that profit the rich at the expense of the poor are anathema.
Both wealth and power are immensely corruptive influences, and the behavior of wealthy and powerful people who cast doubt on a legitimate global concern for the sake of their own profit is nothing less than despicable.
The well-paid deniers of truth may be slick and stealthy, but those who believe God has a better idea for the global community don't have to give credence to their drivel.
If truth can't stand up to power, and if American power-mongers don't get out of the denial business and take the lead in showing a bit of concern for someone other than themselves, we may be destined to encounter hell on earth.
4 comments:
Tony wrote: "The well-paid deniers of truth may be slick and stealthy, but those who believe God has a better idea for the global community don't have to give credence to their drivel."
Two Points:
1) Global warming alarmists appear to be taking a page out of fundamentalist playbook. They believe they are the sole possessors of "truth" concerning the threat of global warming. Furthermore, all those who dare to disagree with their view of "truth" are branded as "deniers."
The author of the NEWSWEEK article (Sharon Begley) used "denier," "denial," "denial machine," "denial camp," and "denialism," a total of twenty (20) times in the article. Which is not unusual for alarmist journalism.
The global warming alarmists believe the skeptics (whom they call, "deniers") are clueless about the truth of catastrophic global warming. Who says the alarmists have the corner on all truth about the threat of global warming?
I wonder what God has to say about the purveyors of untruth? The NEWSWEEK article, as I read it, was filled with untruth. For starters, Begley declared that the IPCC report issued this year was written by more than 800 climate researchers and vetted by 2,500 scientists from 130 nations. This is patently untrue.
Martin Durkin, producer of the documentary, The Great Global Warming Swindle, says that those 2,500 scientists have not signed on to any conclusions in the IPCC report. If a particular scientist is an expert on oceans and found that sea level has risen X amount, then the scientist's name is on the report. An ocean scientist's name on the IPCC report only means that he has declared that the sea level has risen X amount, not that humans caused global warming which caused the sea to rise.
The claim of "2,500 scientists" having signed the IPCC report does not mean they have all endorsed the conclusions. It only means that they made a contribution of various bits of science. It is untrue to claim that 2,500 scientists have declared that global warming is a catastrophic threat. The NEWSWEEK article is purveying untruth. Skeptics, ("deniers,") dispute the alarmists concerning this untruth, as well as hundreds of other untruths.
2) "Stealth" implies "secret," "clandestine," or "surreptitious procedure." I hardly believe the skeptics are being very stealthy. ;-)
Good thoughts, Tony. And I am not sure why my very good friend David Flick is so opposed to the overwhelming scientific consensus that global warming is real and largely caused by humans. It seems some in the Christian community remain as suspicious of science as did Christians in the era of Galileo and Copernicus.
I've personally witnessed the glaciers shrinking in Glacier National Park these past few decades. It is a sad sight.
I'm pretty much with Gourley on this one, but what Leno said was funny.
All the bad weather NYC had there in a two day stretch, Al Gore woke up and thought it was Christmas.
Not a very good telling of the line, but you know what I mean
Excellent stance and well said. The earth and its atmosphere is a closed envelope and it only makes sense that we cannot keep pouring poisons into that envelope and expect it not to become poisonous. We deny our culpability so our conscience doesn't demand we change any of our ways.
Post a Comment