I Don't "Believe" in Climate Change!

This summer is the 64th of my existence on this planet and it's the hottest in my memory. Around the planet countries are setting heat records and people are dying as a result. This isn't just a matter of me figuring "it was cooler when I was a kid." Today a CBC article cited a new report by an international team of scientists which claims that there is a risk of Earth entering what they call 'Hothouse Earth' conditions. The world is at risk of entering "hothouse" conditions with average temperatures 4-5 C higher even if emissions reduction targets under a global climate deal are met, scientists say in a new study.

Still, I don't "believe" in climate change and I'll tell you why. I've realized over time that the preponderance of scientific evidence supports the existence of climate change and global warming which are altering weather patterns and ecosystems. This is accentuated and likely caused by the activity of human beings and we are the ones responsible for taking action for change. So this is not a matter of ideology or theology or doomsday thinking.



Katharine Hayhoe is an atmospheric scientist and a leading climate change spokesperson. She is also an evangelical Christian who lives deep in the heart of Texas, a hotbed of climate change denial. She has a sense of humour, as this cartoon she posted attests. She also encourages us not to "believe" in climate change but to consider the facts. On her website http://katharinehayhoe.com/wp2016/ she offers:

I’m an atmospheric scientist. I study climate change, one of the most pressing issues we face today. I don’t accept global warming on faith: I crunch the data, I analyze the models, I help engineers and city managers and ecologists quantify the impacts.
The data tells us the planet is warming; the science is clear that humans are responsible; the impacts we’re seeing today are already serious; and our future is in our hands. As John Holdren once said, “We basically have three choices: mitigation, adaptation, and suffering. We’re going to do some of each. The question is what the mix is going to be. The more mitigation we do, the less adaptation will be required, and the less suffering there will be.”

I would encourage you not to believe or disbelieve the existence of climate change., as though it were a matter of faith.  There is so much information, scientifically researched, and often quite accessible if you're willing to make the effort to read and watch it. Do it, act upon what you learn, and pray for the individual and collective will to find a different path.