I know I repeat themes from one blog to another, and I can't remember what I wrote about a couple of months ago. So this may be a repeated idea.
I can remember when I thought environmentalists were all extremists, and that 'global warming" was a fairy tale. I still am not sure that it is as drastic as some would have us believe. I know that air pollution and water pollution are not nearly as bad as they were when I was a teenager. However, I do think that global warming is affecting our weather to some degree.
But the attitude of the other extreme nauseates me. I'm talking about Rush Limbaugh and his ilk who make jokes about cutting down the rain forests and act as if human excess is a virtue. Their creed seems to be, "I will live for me. Who cares about the future?"
Surely the sane position is between the two extremes -- and probably leaning toward the environmentalists. God placed us here on this planet to take care of it. And there are things we can do to protect it -- and make it better. Will it mean doing without some excesses? Probably. Will it cost some money? Yes.
But I want my grandkids and their kids to be able to enjoy the beauty of the earth. And I don't want to risk shaking up the environment because of sheer selfish living on my part. There are so many fairly painless ways that we could make this earth a cleaner place. And I for one am willing to do my part.
Any thoughts?
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7 comments:
I think this is a theological issue. I could not agree with you more that God put us here to take care of the earth. We have been given that responsibility.
I'm curious to hear from you, Rick/Dad, what are the things you plan to do in order to do your part?
-Josh
I'm with you. There has to be a balance. I do not believe in man-made global warming; however, we have a responsibility to take care of the earth. A few things that come to mind (without giving this a great deal of thought) are: more nuclear power plants; harnessing solar power; alternate fuels (synthetic - not corn). There is so much technology already available, but special interests have politicians in their pockets (but that's for another day).
I know for one thing: I am mindful of not being wasteful. I wish we had recycling here in Decatur. I do recycle our newspapers.
One is simply a frame of mind. I don't want to gripe if our government imposes measures to protect the environment. As new ideas come along, I want to join in supporting them.
Our two cars are at the top of the list of most environmentally friendly.
I'm open to others' ideas.
i don't know if i believe in this whole global warming thing...i mean, why do you think adam and eve were naked? Cause it was hot back then too. At least we are able to wear clothes these days. (should i stop making jokes on here)
Jonathan, you crack me up!
How about transportation as a whole? I we removed 10% of the cars driven daily from the highways and the people used mass transit we would a) produce less toxic gases emissions b) use less fuel c) require fewer roadways to be built/repaired and on and on. At one time, this nation had one of the best mass transit systems on the world. You could catch a train and go ANYWHERE! Not today. And instead of taking thousands of acres out of production for something like the trans-Texas corridor, why don't we reclaim the hundreds of miles of railroad right-of-ways we have abandonded in the last half centrury and quit forcing people to give up their land. Besides all of that, I'm always ready to let someone else drive. Sorry for the rant, but when I see how the Europeans travel, I think it is time to take a look around and learn a lesson or two.
I'm not sure if global warming is a man made problem. As I understand the argument, the data that support the theory of global warming is very nearsighted in that there is little data more two hundered years old. To me, that's pretty short sighted to make a strong argument one way or the other. Who is to say that we are not in a "normal" 1000 year warming cycle?
Having said that, I do believe we have a mandate from our Creator to be get good stewards of his creation. Waste is bad!
Waste is, however, part of this creation. If you think of waste more in terms of by-products, then there is potentially a whole new dimension that opens up. The rate limiting factor of recycling by-products in our culture seems to be economics.
We could learn alot from the Creator about how to manage waste (by-products). Just take the relationship between plants and animals, for example. What is a by-product of each organism's respiration is a necessary building block for the other (Oxygen and Carbon dioxide).
Also, when I think about it, I guess some waste is unavoidable. God, in his wisdom, even allowed for waste in his creation. The laws of thermodynamics tell us mathematically that there is waste,usually in the form of heat, as most reactions/interactions take place.
But, wow, my brain is starting to generate waste (heat up) as I think about this incredibly complex situation. So I guess I better get back to work for now.
I appreciate everybody's comments.
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