April 6, 2009 issue
Warming fallacy
By Lloyd W. Gingrich Mercersburg, Pa.I am writing about the article, “The 350 Target“, which reports on Bill McKibben speaking at Goshen (Ind.) College concerning the seriousness of global warming. His target is to lower the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to 350 parts per million. He stated that the level was 270 ppm before the Industrial Revolution. How does he or anyone else know what the level was before the Industrial Revolution?
Another question I have for all the people who are running around saying, “The sky is falling”: What about God’s promise to Noah in Gen. 8:22? “While the Earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, day and night shall not cease.” All these seasons are part of the environment. God does not condition his promise with “unless man destroys the environment.”
Global warming is part of a weather cycle and is caused by factors beyond the control of man. Gen. 8:22 suggests that the Earth as we know it will someday come to an end.
In 2 Peter 3:10-13 we read of the end of the Earth as we know it. But that is in the hand of God.
I believe we should conserve our natural resources and that we who have plenty should share with those who have little or nothing.
One of the loudest voices concerning global warming is coming from a man who is living a very luxurious lifestyle. He travels all over the world by jet airplane, calling people together for large conferences.
I will not believe our leaders in Washington are serious about global warming until they start putting restrictions on auto racing, tractor pulls and other sports events. Look at all the fuel that is burned spewing carbon into the environment. Most of the accusations are aimed at the farmer who is trying to make a living by producing food for many people who take food for granted.
The global-warming frenzy is a distraction from what Jesus called us to do in Matt. 28:18-20. We have been called to help people become ready for the coming end of the Earth as we know it.
It grieves my heart that our beloved Mennonite church is falling for the false teaching concerning global warming.
Comments
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This is a note to thank Lloyd Gingrich for the excellent article titled Warmng Fallacy. I hope someone at Goshen College follows-up on Lloyd's question as to how McKibben determined the 270 ppm levels prior to the industrial reveloution. It all appears to be a joke foisted on the Goshen College students.
How is it that our nation has gone through a very cold winter yet we have people like McKibben speak at Goshen College as if we are in a global warming crisis and unless we do something immediately, we will suffer from our inaction? Where are the people in Goshen College that would demand some evidence to support global warming from Mr. McKibben? The global warming issue is politically driven that utilizes deception to fabricate a crisis that enables power hungry politicans opportunity to further their leftist agenda that would be difficult to accomplish otherwise.
We are learning there are increasing number of scientists who cite there is no evidence to support the global warming frenzy. Why are they being ignored? One thing is certain, Al Gore has become rich in promoting global warming deception while greatly contributing to the carbon dioxide ppm that disturbs Mr. McKibben.
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The fact is that the arctic ice is melting faster than expected. I read yesterday that it may disappear in 30 years. You can't change the facts.
I agree with Mr. Gingerich that tractor pulls and NASCAR racing is a waste of our resources and is not a part of spreading the Gospel. I attended one tractor pull years ago and found out what it was like. I told my wife that it was two tractor pulls--my first and last! Maybe we should be spending our time spreading the Gospel rather than writing about this. That includes me!.
Global warming is not based on one winter or one country.
Give the number of scientists that "cite there is no evidence to support the global warming frenzy".
I have heard the opposite, but I don't listen to talk show hosts who make more money than Al Gore.
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Mr. Smeltzer states "The fact is that the arctic ice is melting faster than expected. I read yesterday that it may disappear in 30 years. You can't change the facts." end quote. It is hardly a fact to state that arctic ice 'may' disappear in 30 years. Further, while he read it yesterday, he does not state when it was written and by whom.
Well the fact is, as stated by Mr. Gingrich, " Global warming is part of a weather cycle and is caused by factors beyond the control of man. Gen. 8:22 suggests that the Earth as we know it will someday come to an end".
In the April 28, 1975, issue of Newsweek, great concern was expressed about Global Cooling trends because growing seasons were shortening and if the trend continued, that would have a disastrous affect on crop production. Other sources of global climate are available by going to GOOGLE, typing in global cooling.
Therefore, after additional review on Google, I stand by all my comments, including statements made by Mr. Gingrich. I would add to Mr. Gingrich's comments that the weather cycle extends over many decades. There is much evidence to support that big picture.
I am wondering what Al Gore or Rush Limbaugh's annual earnings have to do with truth on global climate?
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Historical atmospheric carbon density is determined by examining polar ice cores. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_core.
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Warming fallacy: (This is getting interesting, or the opposite of Phil. 4:8.) Facts: 1. Loyd W. Gingrich writes that he is writing about "The 350 Target" reporting on the global warming in a speech at Goshen College. He writes two sentences about that and then gives his interpretation of several Bible passages and then adds some of his opinion, asking one question that was answered by Chase on this podcast. 2. Some more items from the first MWR article about McKibben (3-23-09): Mr. McKibben has been studying global warming for at least 20 years, writing his first book in 1989 and another book in 2007. I would not try to second guess a student of a subject for 20 years. 3. Other comments from the first MWR article: "We have had the 10 warmest years on record since global warming was determined to be caused by humans." "Among scientists who study climate, there is no disagreement on this." He could not say that if he did not know many of them and have studied the issue for 20 years. "The most immediate victims of this are poor people who didn't cause this." 3. Mr. Welty refers to the site found on GOOGLE global cooling. I clicked on that and the first article refers to 35 and 100 million years ago. Interesting for those who think we can't know carbon density before the industrial revolution. Again, Chase gives the website to learn about the testing for carbon density. (As my pastor used to say years ago when things got a little tense, "It is time for a joke." The joke I refer to is one that my one junior high school teacher said, "A basketball player was whistled for a foul. He told the ref, 'That was no foul!' The ref calmly said, 'Look in the paper tomorrow and see if it wasn't a foul.'") 4. Just because we say it ain't so does not make it ain't so. (Another thing he said, "If you throw a stone into the middle of a pack of dogs, the one who gets hit is the one who yelps first.") 5. NBC reported more tonight on more evidence of global warming. 6. Maybe it is just climate change, but ever since I was a child and in everyone of the 5 states that I have lived in, from IA to VA, people have told me, "I used to walk to school, walking on top of the snow that was higher than the fences." The last person that told me that was last week. 7. We have had only 3 snows this winter that have covered the ground in our area of VA. 8. To get a balanced picture, you need to check out Google global warming and Google global cooling. I did, and neither one represents exactly the views of Gingrich or Welty. 9. Welty is the only one so far who has mentioned the names Al Gore or Rush Limbaugh and "earnings", then in a later writing "annual earnings". 10. There are several, maybe many, talk show hosts on radio and talkers on CNN and Fox who ridicule the idea of global warming. 11. There are over 1,000 uses of "may" in the Bible. I picked one randomly, 1 John 1:4 "that your joy may be full." Would Mr. Welty say that is not fact? 12. I have added energy saving items to all 4 houses that I have owned. 13. Genesis 1;28, "God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number, fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.'" Opinion: No matter what anyone says on any side of this issue, we will not change the facts. What is the reason for trying to influence others with our opinions? The report at Goshen College was informing and carrying on discussion. Call me leftist, call me liberal. Jesus was called, and is still called, worse names--all falsely. But he lives! Christ Jesus lives and the best way to convince others is not by argument, nor by ridiculing them, nor by putting people in boxes, but by living the love of Christ.
I believe in conserving, taking care of God's creation, recycling all I can, and proclaiming the Gospel. I work at all that nearly every day of the year, but it is only by the grace of God that I will get into heaven. May God grant the blessings of Easter to all who follow Jesus!! -
Who is getting tense? I simply asked the question "How does anyone know what the carbon level was before the industrial reveluNation?"
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As members of the faculty at Goshen College who participated in the Bill McKibben event, we would like to respond to Lloyd W. Gingrich’s letter entitled “Warming Fallacy” (April 6) Lloyd, thank you for asking your question about how we know what level of carbon dioxide was present in the atmosphere prior to the Industrial Revolution. It is sometimes all too easy for us to be convinced to jump on board to support an issue without critically reflecting upon what we are being asked to support. Chase’s comment above is correct in saying that scientists measure historical levels of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere by examining polar ice cores. As snowfall accumulates to form glacial ice, air becomes trapped in the ice and preserves a record of atmospheric conditions during the time the snow was deposited. Ice cores therefore can serve as a record of past atmospheric conditions. Because of data like this, climate scientists are unanimous in agreeing that climate change is real, human-induced, and of urgent concern.
We believe that in addition to Jesus’ call to go and make disciples, the Bible also calls us to love and care for all of Creation. While we can reference the prediction of destruction mentioned in 2 Peter, we cannot forget to also reference the goodness of Creation declared by Genesis, the interweaving of the wellbeing of the Israelites with the health of the earth (i.e. Laws of Jubilee in Lev. 25), the Psalms that sing out the praises of our God through the beauty of the natural world, and perhaps above all, Jesus’ prayer that God’s will might be done on earth as it is in heaven. We are not just called to prepare ourselves and others for heaven, we are called to work at making God’s love known where we are now, and this of course includes loving our neighbor.
One of the strongest reasons we should be concerned about climate change is because the effects of climate change disproportionately affect our neighbors around the world. It is clear that while those of us living in the wealthy, developed world are creating much of the carbon dioxide in our atmosphere, it is the people of the two-thirds or developing world that are already being affected by changes in our climate. We have a responsibility to our sisters and brothers in Christ the world over to do our part in reducing our carbon footprint. Climate change is not either liberal or conservative, quite the opposite, it is serving to unite us in ways until now unimaginable.
Thank you, Lloyd and others, for engaging in this conversation. We too believe it is a very important one. For more resources and conversation about this topic, two websites we would recommend are: http://www.creationcare.org/resources/climate/ http://www.mennocreationcare.org/
Ryan Sensenig, Goshen College Assistant Professor of Biology Tamara Shantz, Goshen College Assistant Campus Pastor
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To Tamra Shantz & Ryan Sensenig, thank you for answering my question,"How carbon levels are determined?" However I must confess that I am not convinced that climate change is caused by man.Some people blame cows going through their natural digestive process are contributing to the climate change and are suggesting taxing farmers for each and every animal he owns. When the farmers are put out of business this will greatly hinder how people in U.S.A.can care about our brothers and sisters in third world countries. I am not denying the fact of global climate change. I am not convinced that it is caused by man.
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