Dealing with Global Warming from a Christian Perspective Abhishek Jacob Since the idea of global warming was

first introduced in the 1950s, denouncers have existed, who claim that global warming is merely a hoax or that the supporting evidence is insubstantial and for many years that may have been a viable possibility. But as the years have passed and global warming has revealed its insidious face in the destruction of livelihoods on a global scale, those outdated ideas have been trampled by the overwhelming scientific support. Now, the greatest lies are the ones we tell ourselves; that we arent responsible and that the consequences are minute. We sit in our climatecontrolled homes shielded from the blistering heat outside. We have reliable food sources and are in full control of our comfort. So why should we be worried? Scientists suggest that the temperature rose by 1oF over the past 50 years. Some ask how it is even possible that such a small change would result in any dire consequences. Why does the 1oF matter? Previously, global warming has been considered solely a future crisis that may be facilitated by our current carbon footprint, but even that notion has been dismissed by recent alarming findings. Between the years 1998 and 2008, extreme weather conditions killed 600,000 people and cost a loss of $1.7 trillion. Numerous people are at risk of losing their homes, crops and livelihoods as the grey cloud of global warming looms above them. This is why we must worry about global warming. This is why that 1o matters. It may not affect our lives right now, but if we fail to do something about it, it will affect the lives of our children in the same way that it affects the lives of the poorest people in the world right now. Through this paper, I hope to talk to you about the fundamentals of climate change, the causes and effects, and how we as Christians are called to act on the matter. Our world is getting warmer and warmer. We see this through increases in extreme temperatures, melting mountain glaciers, rising sea levels and numerous other shifts in weather

patterns. For its entire existence, our earth has maintained a unique balance that is remarkably rare to find in the entire universe; a balance that has allowed us humans to survive and grow. But we who have flourished have committed a great injustice in our exhaustive utilization of natural resources for our own benefit. Our actions are threatening the very balance that has allowed us to live on earth. Gases like carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere, which act just like a blanket on a cold night1 maintain one such balance that keeps us warm. As a matter of fact, without these greenhouse gases, the earth would be a frozen ball. These gases serve to trap heat in the atmosphere, maintaining a temperature balance perfectly suited for our survival. As the sun radiates heat, one-third of it is reflected back to space, while two-thirds is absorbed by greenhouse gases. They maintain an average temperature of 55oF as opposed to the 0oF we would experience without them (Hayhoe et al., 2009).These gases are essential in fostering a comfortable environment for us to live in. The problem arises when these greenhouse gases begin to be added to the atmosphere at a rate greater than it is taken out. In the natural cycle, most of the carbon dioxide emissions from plants and animals and from the sea are reabsorbed and therefore dont result in any excessive imbalance. On the other hand, human activity, pumps around 8 billion tons of Carbon dioxide gas, none of which is removed through our actions. Since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, cumulative emissions have reached 200 billion tons (Hayhoe et al., 2009). From the temperature data collected over the many years, scientists have been able to conclude that global warming is in fact happening. As seen in Figure 1 in the Appendix, temperature records over the past century indicate a steady rise in temperature. But many dissenters argue that this is not linked to human activity and is caused by other natural sources, but we know now that it isnt. The warming we experience isnt caused by the sun. The energy we receive from the sun varies over an eleven-year cycle

Katherine Hayhoe, Andrew Farley A Climate for Change, 2009

depending on the slow wobble of the Earths axis (Precession of axis), the varying tilt of the earth (Obliquity of axis) and the change in shape of the earths orbit (Eccentricity of Earths orbit). These Milankovitch cycles, although may seem like a logical argument for the large control of the sun on our temperature variations but unfortunately, when the data for sun energy is compared to our temperature data, the sun energy cant account for the rise in temperature we see today (see Figure 2). Some argue that the change in temperature can be attributed to volcano behavior, but this isnt true either because we know that greenhouse gas emissions from volcanoes are significantly low compared to human emissions in recent years. The irony in this argument is that volcanoes actually cause a cooling effect because of the emitted dust particulate that creates dust clouds that stay in the atmosphere for months or years. So what is causing the global warming? Or rather, who? Approximately 90% of all scientists believe that global warming is caused by humans2. Historically, when human contribution as a result of the Industrial Revolution hadnt ravaged the earth yet, Carbon Dioxide levels in the atmosphere ranged from 200 to 300 parts per million and methane levels ranged from 300 to 700 parts per billion. Today, the atmosphere contains 390 parts per million of carbon dioxide and 1800 parts per billion of methane (Hayhoe et al., 2009). These levels are significantly greater than anything possibly accounted for by natural cycles. This additional level of greenhouse gases has had a significant impact on the temperature levels. From nearly 25 computer models created by scientists comparing virtual earths that progressed without the presence of humans to the current earth that undergoes human influences, data resoundingly showed that the lack of humans resulted in significantly lower temperatures. The global warming effect was nearly wiped out (see Figure 3). The overwhelming logical evidence implicating humans in the matter cannot be ignored. The silver lining I always remind myself of, is that if humans

Source: IPCC Synthesis Report

are the main culprits for the warming epidemic, then it would only follow that we are capable of controlling it. Sitting in the middle of a barren land, Abdul reflects on his near future. The land his father bought with high hopes of providing his family with food now lay waste as torrential rain and flooding stole their hopes of a sustainable source of food. Hunger has ravaged the entire community and soon all the grain they have will be gone. In the past years, the people in Bangladesh could rely on an abundance of crops due to regular seasons and temperate climates ideal for the developing crops. The effects of global warming that have been directly related to human activity has led to an increase in the sea level, inundating the coastal areas and destroying the livelihoods of numerous residents who are already living in a country that is considered one of the poorest in the world. The annual death toll due to the extreme climate in Bangladesh was found to be 8,241 people, with total losses summing to $2.198 billion3. In Maldives, the lowest-lying country in the world and the home to nearly 320,000 people, climate change presents the risk of wiping the nations entire existence due to the rising sea levels. I lived in Maldives for 3 years and can say with confidence that it was one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to, with colorful reefs, white sand and their most important resource, loving people. The realities affecting the poorest people in the world are mere news blurbs that pop up here and there; the ones we choose to ignore. As a community, we have become immune to the troubles of those far from us, even though our actions have a direct impact on their livelihoods. Indeed the world is out of whack because of what we, Gods image-bearers, have done and left undone. (Bauma-Prediger, 2010) Climate change has resulted in a severe global injustice that has permeated our society. It has affected the poorest of the poor and the worst part is that we are personally responsible, whether directly or indirectly. Each of us is to blame. The maps in Figure 5 show the gross injustice. One identifies

Source: prlog.org: Press release December 11, 2009 Global Warming hits 10 countries worst

the carbon dioxide emissions of the respective nations and the other shows the disappointing figures for the nations that were most significantly affected, through a measure of the death toll. With the exception of a few outliers, the two maps are nearly reversed. The United States is seen to produce the greatest amount of carbon dioxide emissions while experiencing minimal consequences. Regions like Africa on the other hand experience the greatest death toll per million in the population even though they contribute the least amount of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. The statistic is slightly misrepresenting because it doesnt show the incredible harm in regions like India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh because although the map shows a moderate death toll per million, the total number of deaths is still significant because of great population density in those countries. Global warming hasnt had a lasting impact on us in the United States because as a developed region, we have the resources to cope with the extreme weather conditions. Last year (from May 2011 to April 2012) was considered the warmest 12-month period in the country for the past 117 years, and I for the time I lived here, I experienced most of it from inside my room, where the temperature was maintained at a comfortable temperature. People in the poorest regions dont often have the luxury of air-conditioning. The extent of their climate control exists in intelligent utilization of passive cooling but in this day and age, that isnt enough. Heat waves contribute directly to deaths from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. High temperatures also raise levels of air pollutants that intensifies the prevalence of the diseases. As I mentioned before, floods and droughts have had a significant impact already on developing regions because of the numerous health hazards that arise. Droughts have the obvious effects of famine and floods contaminate freshwater supplies and make it easier for mosquitoes to breed, increasing the frequency of related diseases. The erratic rainfall and rising temperatures has made it overwhelmingly difficult for crops to yield and this has affected subsistence farmers the most, who rely on the crops for their only food.4

Source: World Health Organization report: Protecting Health from Climate Change. World Health Day 2008

And thats where the 1o matters. It matters for the Bangladeshi farmers whose crops wither in droughts and floods, the Maldivians whose entire livelihoods and culture may sink and it also matters to our children, who may potentially enter a world wrecked and wounded by a tireless master - a world whose natural response may be in detriment to them. When you read of their despairing situation, I hope that it not only hurts you, but motivates you. It matters that we care and we act. But our motivation to act against global warming must not be limited to caring for the people who suffer but also for the environment and nature, which anguishes daily as habitats are destroyed and homes are lost. Many species are being pushed to a state of endangerment and even possible extinction. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature has placed animals like the emperor penguin, salmon and leatherback turtles on a list of animals which are especially going to be affected by global warming, for varying reasons. The emperor penguins population is threatened because it may face food shortages because a lot of the shelf ice under which it hunts for shrimp-like krill is melting, which also has the adverse effect of reducing breeding areas. Salmon will suffer from the fact that warmer water temperatures deplete the oxygen levels in their breeding streams and rivers, and leatherback turtles are affected by the rising temperatures which cause dramatic imbalance in the sex ratios of the hatchlings.5 Oftentimes, as Christians, we overlook our call to care for creation. We have misinterpreted Bible verses or understated them and as a whole, our perceptions have been misled or misdirected. Colossians 1:16-20 says, For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things and in Him all things hold togetherFor it was the Fathers good pleasure foal l the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to
5

Source: IUCN Red List for Threatened Species, Species on climate change hit list named Link: http://www.iucnredlist.org/news/climate-change-species-hit-list

Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross. This verse lays down the foundation for what I hope to talk about. The notion that creation is us centered is egregious, and so is the behavior that follows that thought. We exist for the purpose of praising God along with the creatures He created. Creation therefore is valuable irrespective of our requirement of them (SB-P, 2010). In Psalm 148, the psalmist proclaims Praise the Lord!...Praise Him, all the angels; Praise Him, all His hosts! Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him all stars of light! Praise Him, highest heavens, and the waters that are above the heavens! Let them praise the name of the Lord, For He commanded and they were created. One of the most unfortunate misunderstandings within the Christian community has to do with what the Bible says about our relationship with nature. Genesis 2:18 says And God blessed them and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. When I first read this verse as a 13-year old, I immediately made the assumption that this verse meant that all of nature is merely created for us and we are given the right, from God, to do with it whatever we want to. This view in reality, is a complete anathema to what God intended for us. The proper exercise of dominion yields shalom the flourishing of all creation For Jesus, to rule is to serve. To exercise dominion is to suffer, if necessary, for the good of the other.6 Steven Bouma-Prediger presents this view that completely flips the conception that I held of what dominion meant. When God blessed us with the power over all of creation, His instruction was not to mistreat and disregard it, but to serve and protect it. Psalms 24:1 says that the earth is the Lords and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it. Creation has been specifically been designated the same authority in that it is Christs creation. The possessiveness we have become accustomed to treating this world as one built merely for our own comfort is not what God intended for us and it devalues the rest of creation.

Bouma-Prediger, Steven For the Beauty of the Earth, pg. 64

Wendell Berry said that, The ecological teaching of the Bible is simply inescapable: God made the world because He wanted it made. He thinks the world is good, and He loves it If God loves the world, then how might any person of faith be excused for not loving it or justified in destroying it? The issue of environmental ethics must be at the forefront of concerns addressed by us as a community of faith. As Children of God, it is our moral imperative to take heed to Gods command to till and keep the earth (Genesis 2:15). There are certain fundamental features of a Christian environmental ethic that we as followers of Christ must follow in order to properly sustain and take care of creation. God has explicitly given us the responsibility to serve nature and in doing so, we must hold on to certain principles and virtues that are rooted in Gods word so that we can effectively fulfill Gods purpose in our lives as protectors of His creation. We have been given a direct command by God to care for the earth. As Fretheim states: Both human and nonhuman creatures are called to participate in the creative activity initiated by God. Like a risking parent, God lovingly empowers creation for its own benefit (Bouma-Prediger, 2010). When God created the Earth and everything in it, He repeatedly reviewed the quality of his creation and proclaimed, It is good. This pride that came along with the process of meticulous creation showed that God placed incredible value for His creation. Last Christmas, a family friend had a young son who was an avid Lego creator. He was gifted a new Lego set for a large excavator and because of the great difficulties he had building it, I decided to help. A few minutes into the process of building this excavator, he abandoned me for more interesting ventures like video games and I began to enjoy the process. Building the excavator was a painstaking process; missing one tiny piece could mean the loss of functionality and so building it took me nearly 8 hours to complete. At the end of it all, I was in awe of what I had created. This machine that was capable of moving around with a fully functioning shovel for digging, not to mention it was absolutely beautiful. When I showed it to the boy, he was naturally extremely impressed and I knew this moment I had to hand it over to him, fully conscious of the

possibility that he may break it in his childish fervor and excitement. I handed it over and he promptly went outside and played with it in the dirt and I would watch to make sure he was taking care of the machine but eventually I decided to trust him with it. Within a few hours, he rushed to my house with the excavator and complained that the shovel stopped working. I was quite disappointed because it meant taking apart the back-end and reconnecting the gears that were displaced because he had dropped it. He was quite remorseful and I knew it was a genuine mistake so I fixed it and returned it to him. When I left home to come back to Messiah I was a bit disappointed because I knew he would probably damage it. When I returned for summer though, I was absolutely surprised to hear that the excavator was in excellent condition even after months of being played with. That may have been one of the happiest moments of my return, certainly a memorable one. I can only imagine Gods love for his creation after my experience with a mere mechanical excavator (that came with instructions mind you). Gods creatures are valuable not because of their usefulness to humans though some are useful, indeed essential to us. Instead, they are valuable to each otherand most importantly, rocks and trees, birds and animals are valuable simply because God made them. Their value resides in their being creations of a valuing God.(SB-P, 2010) In order to fulfill our duty as stewards of creation, it is imperative that we develop certain virtues to work for our benefit. In Bouma-Predigers book, he lists certain ecological virtues that he suggests should be underlying dispositions to act under the accordance of principles set forth by God. These virtues, which are derived from theological motifs, should begin to inform our vision as environmental ethicists and instruct us as to how to effectively live out our required tasks as keepers of earth. I believe that this process of extracting truth about Gods vision for us from the Bible is pivotal. As with everything, we must learn to use Gods word as the fundamental building blocks for how we live out aspects of our life, especially when it comes to taking care of the environment. A certain virtue that stood out to me was this notion of respect and receptivity which corresponding with the theological

motif of creational integrity, which dictates that all species have intrinsic value. Respect is an understanding of and proper regard for the integrity and well-being of other creatures. A respectful person shows both esteem for and deference to another because of the nature or unique character of that other. (SB-P, 2010) I believe it is important to respect nature because it recognizes that all of creation has God-given value and therefore we are obligated to serve and protect the rest of creation. In addition to the recognition of intrinsic value, another principle that we must account for is sustainability not only of ourselves, but of all creation. Calvin DeWitt once said, It is Gods will that the whole of creation be fruitful, not just people. And thus human fruitfulness may not be at the expense of Gods blessing of fruitfulness to other creatures. Throughout history, as humans continued to develop technologically and become more dominant of the earths resources, we have left an incredible footprint that has resulted in the extinction of numerous other species. According to a study, Over the past few hunder years, humans have increased species extinction rates by as much as 1000 times the background rates that were typical over Earths history. Three species every day. Every eight hours another species gone forever. (SB-P, 2010) This astonishing fact is a brutal blow to humanitys purpose on this Earth. We have completely ravaged earth in ways that have left an indelible mark. To many of us, this fact is horrible for pragmatic reasons. That is, the extinction of species has the potential of harming our own well-being as humans, whether the endangered species is one that has medical remedies or it has common industrial use that benefits us. But, as Holmes Rolston urges us in his essay Environmental Ethics: Some Challenges for Christians, although these humanistic reasons are relevant, they do not value these species for what they are in themselves under GodValuable though humans may be, the nonhuman world too is a vital part of Earths story. In Deuteronomy 22:6-7, we are provided with guidelines as to how to utilize Gods creation for our own fruitfulness without harming the fruitfulness of other parts of creation. One of more significant accounts of Gods determination to protect his species is the story of Noahs ark. The story, though brimming with knowledge of Gods

mercy and His requirement for us to live faithfully, also conveys His determination to preserve species. Although individual animals perish catastrophically, God has an adequate concern and conservation for species. On the Ark, the species come through (A&B, 2003) As humans, the survival of our species depends on fruitfulness and sustainability but with the same regard, holding true to the fact that all of creation has intrinsic worth, we must live in such a way that doesnt threaten the fruitfulness of other species. One final ethical principle to look at, fitting as the last point in this essay, is the principle of Rejuvenation. One of the many important truths told by the creation story is the importance of Sabbath. After creating a world that he thought was good, God rested on the seventh day, which represented a state of completion. The Sabbath serves numerous purposes. Firstly, the Sabbath reminds us, among other things, that the world is in Gods loving hands and, therefore, will not fall to pieces if we cease from our work. (SB-P, 2010) The principle often held that if you want to get something done, do it yourself has often resulted in us being very dependent on our own abilities. As a result, we lose focus of the large picture, in which God is in control of all things. Although it holds that work is very important to our well-being, God has shown us that it is also important to at some point trust in Gods ability to maintain and protect us. Rest serves to rejuvenate our body, mind and soul. Similar to the importance we place on resting our own bodies, we must also place significance of giving Gods creation some rest. In Leviticus 25, God instructs his people to follow a strict regimen where they work the fields for 6 years and on the 7th year, they give the land some rest. Later in Leviticus 26, God provides a clear warning for the consequences of not providing the land rest. 26:33 You, however I will scatter among the nations and will draw out a sword after you, as your land becomes desolate and your cities become waste. Then the land will enjoy its Sabbaths all the days of the desolation, while you are in your enemies land; then the land will rest and enjoy its Sabbaths. This warning clearly shows the importance God places in Sabbath. Not only must we rest, but we must also rest the donkeys. All of creation, from ourselves to

the plants we cultivate, need rest. It is our responsibility as rulers and servers of Gods creation to ensure that it receives the rest that it absolutely needs. Throughout the years we have caused great destruction within the spectrum of all creation, and global warming has been a prime example of what we have caused by our irresponsibility. And even with all the harm we have caused so far, God has trusted us with His creation, God had placed His creation in hands that were, in His eyes, worthy of beholding it. We, as His creation, were so greatly loved and valued that He rested the responsibility of taking care and sustaining the rest of His creation on us, and it is of paramount importance that we take this call to heart and fulfill His demand for us to serve the environment. As a follower of Christ, I know it is my moral responsibility to care for creation and do everything within my ability to reverse the damage that has been caused so far. In addition to applying our Christian environmental ethic to target the issue of global warming, there are numerous other environmental ethics people use to seek appropriate respect for life and in particular nonhuman objects of duty when appealing to the issue. Of these ethics, certain ones resonate more than others and one environmental ethic that I consider to be quite a significant reason many use in the fight to care for creation is the beauty of it. The aesthetic qualities of creation have always seemed such convincing reasons to prevent the disruption of nature. Often we downplay the significance of the aesthetic environmental ethic because of its purportedly shallow nature, or because the aesthetic view pales in comparison to the utilitarian ethic that dictates a need for nature. But I believe that the aesthetic environmental ethic is absolutely essential to our holistic valuation of nature. Aesthetics also play a large part in confronting popular neglect and also plays a critical role in the American conservation policy and land management.7 One of the main reasons that national parks are established is because they are considered beautiful.

The Land Aesthetic J. Baird Callicott, Armstrong and Botzler pg. 135

An aesthetic experience is tied with the intrinsic worth of creation. We appreciate it for what it is. The aesthetic experience is characterized as a sympathetic and contemplative experience; it entails delight in harmony and complex unity. (A&B, 2003) A common misconception was that the aesthetic experience is entirely subjective in nature, but in actuality there is also an objective aspect that contributes to the aesthetic experience. When observing something, the spontaneous feelings upon reflection on the subject are often tied into the aesthetic experience. Aesthetic experiences evoke certain emotions within us. For example, hiking through nature has always provided me with a sense of awe. A picture of a ravaged forest or a flooded village, may evoke a sense of sympathy or sadness. In general though, I believe aesthetic experiences accentuate the value of creation. Observing the land aesthetic is a beautiful way to connect with nature. When we fully observe nature we are the mobile center of a three-dimensional, multisensuous experiential continuum. The appreciation of an environments natural beauty involves not only the beauty we see but also involves the olfactory senses, senses of feeling (warmth of the air) and smelling (the fragrance of flowers) (A&B, 2003). This experience is absolutely vital not only for our personal interaction with nature, but in also shaping our environmental ethic. Experiencing the beauty of nature inevitably creates a sense of responsibility for us to protect it. I remember picking up a Time Magazine a few months ago that was dedicated to the subject of global warming that was an absolutely magnificent testament to the use of an aesthetic environmental ethic to appeal to readers. The magazine was filled with incredible pictures of nature that evoked such a sense of awe, but it also had poignant pictures that depicted the malice of climate change. In retrospect, I dont remember doing much of the reading; I was captivated by the stunning pictures. They served a pivotal purpose in my journey to learning more about global warming because they aided me developing empathy and respect for the environment. The images helped nurture a sense of intrinsic value for the environment and encouraged me to delve into the problem of global warming.

I believe that an environmental ethic based on the aesthetic experience can play a significant role when it comes to a universal application because of the scope and ease by which I can be applied. As humans, our blessing as image-bearers of God allows us to appreciate the intrinsic value and beauty of nature. Because of this ability it is highly likely for us to place value on creation. As I stated before, oftentimes the beauty of nature played a critical role in instituting national parks. As a child, the fundamental ethic that I used to place value on creation was the aesthetic quality of it. Growing up I lived near a beach, so my father would always take me down and we would experience the incredible beauty of Gods creation. We would spend long hours snorkeling over the colorful reefs, seeing a plethora of fishes - diverse in color, size and shape. I immediately was taught of the intrinsic value of nature through my aesthetic experience with it. This is true even to this day when I go on hikes, or just walk down the nature trail. Recent studied have shown that global warming has extremely adverse effects on coral reefs. As the ocean warms, bleaching of the corals has become a huge concern. 97% of corals in Inner Seychelles have disappeared. My lifelong experience observing coral reefs have been so instrumental in my appreciation for nature and the threat that global warming plays in destroying them seriously magnifies my burden for the beautiful underwater ecosystem. The intrinsic value it holds for me because of its incredible beauty plays a significant role in motivating me to protect it. Being immersed in nature and experiencing it as much as possible always served to reaffirm the value of it. Dissenters believe that the aesthetic experience is far too subjective. They argue that if aesthetics plays a significant role in our universal application, only the perceivably beautiful landscapes will be conserved. That is, the beautiful mountain ranges would be urged to be conserved, but not necessarily the swamps and bogs. The beautiful beaches and coral reefs would be fought for, but what about the barren stretches of boiling hot deserts? Let it be noted first that I consider deserts, swamps and bogs to be absolutely beautiful. From the mysterious realms of deserts to the richly diverse ecosystems found in swamps, I believe that all of nature has value rooted in the aesthetic experience in

the respective landscapes. In trying to find a disagreeing argument, it was hard for me to name any landscape. I consider them all to be beautiful but Im sure there are some who find certain environments to be unappealing and so I concede, this view may have a problem in relying too much on subjectivity. But the problem has a simple solution: education. Although the aesthetic experience often is subjective, there is a very important piece of the puzzle that often is missing: and objective observation. The aesthetic appeal of country, in other words, should have less to do with its adventitious colors and shapes or its scenic expanses and picturesque proportions than with the integrity of its evolutionary heritage and ecological process. (A&B, 2003) According to Callicott and Leopold, the impact of evolutionary biological literacy has incredible value on perception. This literacy can be attained through education. Education serves to open our eyes to an extremely beautiful ecosystem that doesnt necessarily have to be scenic. The land aesthetic is sophisticated and cognitive, not nave and hedonicThe experience of a marsh or bog is aesthetically satisfying less for what is literally sensed thant what is known or schematically imagined of its ecology. (A&B, 2003). Living in Bahamas, I would always see marshlands in the lakes and it never particularly appealed to me aesthetically. It was merely unsightly roots jutting out from the brown and murky water. It was only after I learned more of the intricate ecosystem found at the marshland that I learned to appreciate it. My scope was broadened and I began to use the corrective lens of knowledge to enhance my view of marshlands. Education serves to fill the void of objectivity. During an aesthetic experience, it is important to not only observe the visual beauty but also the beauty of the underlying evolutionary and ecological biology. The aesthetic environmental ethic is quite important because of its value in rallying people from all beliefs together. It is a common thread that binds us all. No matter what environment specifically, we have a tendency to appreciate the beauty of nature and find value in that beauty. The epidemic of global

warming has done great harm to this value, from bleaching beautiful coral reefs to melting grand glaciers, aesthetic experience is an extremely helpful ethic to use in fighting the climate change disaster. In trying to fight global warming, scientists have made numerous attempts to solve the problem. From machines that brighten clouds and deflect sunlight from earth to artificial volcanoes that spray heat-reflecting particles into the atmosphere, geoengineering has made great advancements in finding dramatic solutions to the problem. Although there has yet to arise an idea that is fully capable of being implemented, the concept of a huge machine that sucks carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is tantalizing and far from impossible. But as Christians, we are all called to act. Christianity has always been about looking beyond ourselves and becoming aware of the needs of others (Hayhoe and Farley, 2009). The popular assumption made is that individual contributions arent enough to make a change, but thats absolutely not true! Studies have shown that 21% of carbon dioxide emissions come from individuals and households and 17% come from personal transportation in the United States (Hayhoe and Farley, 2009). We as individuals contribute to one-third of the countrys emissions! This shows that the potential for change is great, and we are all capable of contributing to saving the world. Because of what we have already done in harming the environment, we will continue to experience global warming for the next decade or so, but we do have the power to change what the distant future will look like. IPCC has suggested that a change of temperature of 4oF can be accounted for and it is possible to stymie the progress of climate change. WE can affect change through recycling, using more energy efficient forms of transportation, by improving home insulation and using more energy efficient appliances. We need to stop complaining about the governments energy plan and make our contributions count. We need to act on our own accord to work towards saving the planet, and the future of our children. We must save it for its beauty, for its intrinsic worth and most importantly, for the Creator, who has given us the

responsibility to care for his incredible creation. Gods providence must be our guidance. If God has faith in us then so must we. Citation Armstrong, S. J., & Botzler, R. G. (1993). Environmental ethics: divergence and convergence. New York: McGraw-Hill. Ball, J. (2010). Global warming and the risen Lord: Christian discipleship and climate change. Washington, D.C.: Evangelical Environmental Network. Cyclone Nilam slams India, after flooding Sri Lanka - World - CBC News. (n.d.). CBC.ca - Canadian News Sports Entertainment Kids Docs Radio TV. Retrieved December 4, 2012, from http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2012/10/31/india-cyclone-nilam.html Global Warming Effects Information, Global Warming Effects Facts, Climate Change Effects - National Geographic. (n.d.). Environment Facts, Environment Science, Global Warming, Natural Disasters, Ecosystems, Green Living - National Geographic. Retrieved December 4, 2012, from http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/gw-effects/ Global Warming Has Devastating Effect on Coral Reefs, Study Shows. (n.d.). Daily Nature and Science News and Headlines | National Geographic News. Retrieved December 4, 2012, from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/05/warming-coral_2.html Global Warming hits 10 countries worst | PRLog. (n.d.). Free Press Release Distribution Service - PRLog. Retrieved December 4, 2012, from http://www.prlog.org/10447665-global-warming-hits-10countries-worst.html Goodell, J. (2010). How to cool the planet: geoengineering and the audacious quest to fix earth's climate. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Hansen, J. E. (2009). Storms of my grandchildren: the truth about the coming climate catastrophe and

our last chance to save humanity. New York: Bloomsbury USA. Hayhoe, K., & Farley, A. (2009). A Climate for Change. New York: Faith Words. IPCC - Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (n.d.). IPCC - Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Retrieved December 4, 2012, from http://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/publications_ipcc_fourth_assessment_report_synt hesis_report.htm Lomborg, B. (2007). Cool it: the skeptical environmentalist's guide to global warming. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. News - Species on climate change hit list named. (n.d.). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved December 4, 2012, from http://www.iucnredlist.org/news/climate-change-specieshit-list Prediger, S. (2001). For the beauty of the earth: a Christian vision for creation care. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Academic. Protecting Health from Climate Change. (n.d.). World Health Organization. Retrieved December 2, 2012, from www.who.int/world-health-day/toolkit/report_web.pdf

Appendix

Fig. 1: Record of Global temperatures from 1880 to 2005 Source: http://zfacts.com/book/export/html/160

Fig. 2: Increases in energy from the Sun likely contributed to warming over the first half of the 1900s. However, if the Sun were controlling the Earth's temperature today, our temperatures would have decreased over the last few decades. Instead, they have increased. Source: http://www.notbluenotred.com/sun.html

Fig. 3: Climate models are the most helpful and scientifically reliable tools available to examine causes of climate change. We can compare observed global temperatures (black line) with climate model simulations of temperature that include human production of heat-trapping gases (red line), and those that do not include human influence (blue line). Only when climate model simulations include human influence are they able to account for the global temperature increase since 1960. Source: http://www.notbluenotred.com/humans.html

Fig. 4: A comic that adequately describes the skeptics camp.

Fig. 5 The two maps above show the stark irony in who is affecting and who is affected. The global warming we cause affect the poorest of the poor whose ability to recuperate is extensively low.

Fig. 6:Front cover of a book written by Time magazine editors. The book is inundated with pictures, similar to the front cover that are so poignant in telling the tale of global warming. Similar to many magazines and websites, Time uses aesthetic elements to evoke sympathy and as well as awe for creation