Ethics Q&A
Q&A: Global Warming
These are my position on the issue.
Q: Is there a global warming trend in the last 20-30 years?
A: Yes and no. Yes, since the 1990s, the average temperature of the Earth has been about 0.2°C higher than in the last 400 years. The highest point was recorded in 1998. No, there is no reliable proof that the higher temperature is a long term trend. [In fact, the people who now predict a continuous global warming trend were the same people who predicted a new Ice Age when world temperatures were decreasing in the 1970s.]
Q: Is the world temperature since the 1990s the highest in human
history?
A: No. The temperatures were higher around AD1000, AD1400, and AD1500.
Q: Is the world temperature rising since 1998?
A: No. According to the global warming model, the world temperature should continue to rise but it actually has been about level since 1998.
Q: Is the prediction by some scientists about catastrophes from global
warming credible?
A: No. Past predictions about the rising sea level and increasing temperatures have been constantly revised downward. Such predictions are largely unbelievable.
Q: Is the higher temperature in the past decade the result of
increasing CO2?
A: Unsure. There has been NO definitive scientific evidence that any warming is caused by CO2. All scientific reports (that support global warming) have used the word “likely” not “definitely”.
Q: Is global warming, if there is any, preventable?
A: No. Even if carbon dioxide is the culprit, the cost of losing millions of jobs outweigh the projected 2% decrease in carbon dioxide. This will have insignificant effect on global warming, even if there is any.
Q: Should the
A: No. It is unwise to cause large-scale job loss when it can only produce an insignificant effect.
Q: Is there a consensus in the scientific community about global
warming?
A: No. There are
thousands of scientists (many specializing in climate and geophysics research)
who believe that climate change is natural and is NOT caused by CO2 and
that any human intervention is ineffectual. [A group of 100 scientists
submitted a report to the 2007 UN climate conference in
Q: Should Christians emphasize the control of climate change?
A: No. While Christians have a mandate to manage the Earth well, we should avoid emphasizing the control of climate change because there has been a wide range of opinions among Christians. Because there is no definitive scientific evidence, any emphasis will cause disunity among evangelical Christians. It is a tool of the devil to divide Christians.
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