Round 1: Einstein …

Shortly after developing the Theory of Relativity, Albert Einstein “insisted his equations must be verified by empirical observation and he himself devised three specific tests for this purpose.” (Paul Johnson, Modern Times, p. 2) These experiments were conducted, and the rest, as we say, is history. 

Why do I bring this up? Einstein’s insistence on empirically testing his hypothesis stands in stark contrast to the behavior of those who claim that Anthropomorphic Global Warming (“AGW”) is an “existential threat.” So busy are the AGW prophets with spreading the word that the end is near, that they have no time to develop tests of their hypothesis. Indeed, they seem totally unconcerned with verification and manipulate every weather event, no matter how antithetical to the AGW hypothesis, as vindication of their theory. 

If we were to base the validity of the AGW advocates’ theory on the accuracy of their predictions, we would have dismissed them as loons long ago. Every prediction they have made has proven false with the possible exception of a slight upward trend in temperatures. We still have snow, we still have the Amazon rain forests, we still have polar bears and we do not have more violent weather. 

But, you might object, have not temperatures increased significantly in this century? That claim is either refuted or verified depending upon how far back one goes in the temperature record. If you use unadjusted surface temperature data from 1880, then the temperature increases from 2000 probably are within the range of normal variability. If you use satellite data, which is only available since the 70’s, then there is an upward trend. 

The AGW crowd routinely ignores the fact that temperatures have been considerably higher in the past than they are today. They also ignore the benefit people derived from those higher temperatures. Generally speaking warmer temperatures mean longer and more favorable growing seasons and fewer weather-related deaths. The great architectural, educational and scientific achievements of the Middle Ages – sometimes called the “Dark Ages” – came during the Medieval Warming Period. The warmer temperatures also enabled Erik the Red to colonized Greenland.

The nearby graph is one I use in the section I teach on Global Warming in my Natural Resource Economics class. It demonstrates the significant variability in global temperatures.

Round 2: God …

Judeo-Christian teaching proclaims God, not man, is in charge of the climate. God uses the weather to bless us (Leviticus 26:3 – 4) and to discipline people and draw them to Himself (Amos 4:7 – 9). He also changes the weather in response to the prayers of His people (Zechariah 10:1). We saw this last one demonstrated when a man in our church who runs an irrigation business encouraged the congregation to pray for rain. We did, and boy howdy, it RAINED and RAINED and RAINED. Rain that had not been predicted. Rain that was a blessing.

So should we believe the AGW crowd or the proclamations of the Bible? Well, if you base your decision upon the trustworthiness of statements made and, in particular, on the accuracy of prophecies articulated, the Christian presupposition wins hands down. The most catastrophic climate event in history is the world-wide flood which God brought to judge mankind for their rebellion. This event is attested to by cultures across the globe from the Chinese with their coin that depicts the ark to the Mandan Indians that Lewis and Clark wintered with around 1803. The Bible is replete with fulfilled prophecies, many made hundreds or even thousands of years before the events were fulfilled. The ultimate prediction that verifies the veracity of the Bible is Jesus’ prediction that He would rise from the dead on the third day. He was crucified and three days later His grave was empty. So, if He got that one right, everything else is, relatively speaking, small potatoes.

Jesus Christ Vs. The AGW Prophets

The AGW crowd offers slavery and death. Slavery because we must abide by their mandates to save the world, and death because those mandates will inevitably lead to harm, particularly among the poor.

Jesus Christ, on the other hand, offers liberty and abundant life.

As an aside, another factor the AGW’ers ignore is  increased carbon dioxide benefits plants. (They actually make CO2 generators for green houses.) The evidence of this benefit can be seen in the greening of sub-Sahara Africa.