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Christianity and Climate Change: The Supernatural Power of Faith Over Science
by Olufemi Awonaike CONTENT 1. Motto 2. Mission Statement 3. Aims and Objectives 4. Preamble 5. Background Destructive Actions of Man 6. Solution To Greenhouse Gas Emissions 7. A New Approach To Solve the Greenhouse Gas Emission Problem 8. What Can God Do With The Little Contribution(s) Of A Disciple? 9. Save Planet Earth Mission 10. Dedication MOTTO: With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible (Matt. 19:26) MISSION STATEMENT: Conscious of the fact that planet Earth is God's property, held in trust by man; instead of destroying it, it is imperative for man to play his part to save it by living a lifestyle which is pleasing to God and to use wisely the earth's resources, thereby leaving it better than he met it. AIM AND OBJECTIVES: To create global awareness of climate change due to the greenhouse gases emitted by human activities; To create global awareness of the consequences of climate change on the continued existence of planet earth; To create global awareness of the role(s) a mature born again Christian can play in averting the impending doom facing planet earth as a result of climate change; with the conviction that no matter how insignificant the role is, God can use it to reverse the process and save planet earth from destruction. To globally encourage Christians to live their lives, true to their calling as children of God for God to preserve planet earth for their habitation; To globally make a (spiritual) nation and priests of all Christian for the salvation of mankind and earth. *The aims and objectives will be achieved by enlightenment through lectures, seminars, print and broadcast media. PREAMBLE Our time on planet earth, our energy, intelligence, opportunities and relationships are all gifts from God that He has entrusted to our care and management. We are stewards of whatever God gives us. This concept of stewardship begins with the recognition that God is the owner of everything and everyone on earth. We never really own anything during our brief stay on earth. God just loans the earth to us while we are here. It was God's property before you arrived and God will loan it to someone else when you are gone. (Genesis 1:28) "God blessed them (man) and said, "Have many children, so that your descendants will live all over the earth and bring it under control. I am putting you (man) in charge." In order for man to fulfill God's purpose on earth, he is endowed with gift(s)/talent(s) according to his capability (Matt. 25:14-29). At the end of one's life on earth, he will be evaluated and rewarded according to how well he handled what God entrusted to him. If he treats the gift(s) /talent(s) as a trust, God promised three (3) rewards in eternity: first, he will be given God's affirmation; God will say, "Good job, well done! Next, the person will receive a promotion and thirdly, he will be given greater responsibility in eternity. Mathew 25:21 states, "I will put you in charge of many things." Although man has fulfilled part of God's plan for his creation - that of having many children and filling the earth from a population of two (2) to presently almost seven billion (7,000,000,000). Unfortunately, man has failed woefully to bring the earth under control. Evidences of this failure include absence of global peace (in the form of terrorist attacks, hijacks, abductions etc), social upheavals between the haves and the have-nots (in the form of armed robberies, corruption etc), political instability / unrest resulting in massacres and wars (national and international), health hazard (prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases; STD, HIV /AIDS, Avian influenza, swine flu etc), lack of food and good drinking water and natural disasters (such as earthquakes, floods and drought). Today, the most important issue facing mankind is climate change and its wider impact. It affects all people regardless of nationality, faith or colour. Rich or poor, young or old no one is safe from its potentially devastating consequences. Any serious debate about whether climate change was man made or not was settled in 2007, when the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) delivered its report linking human actions (which result in the emissions of greenhouse gases) and global warming. The report concluded there was a 90% certainty that global warming was occurring and that it was in large part caused by human actions. But climate change is not simply a matter of warmer temperatures. Scientists predict global warming will be accompanied by a wide range of other effects: rising sea levels, stronger storms and hurricanes, shifting rainfall patterns, increasing incidence of flooding and droughts, food shortage, and the mass migration of people from the worst affected areas in developing countries. The environmental, economic and political implications of global warming are profound. Ecosystems- from mountains to oceans, from poles to the tropics are undergoing rapid change. Low-lying cities are facing inundation, fertile lands are turning to desert, and weather patterns are becoming even more unpredictable. The cost will be borne by all. The poor will be hardest hit by weather-related disasters and by soaring inflation for staple foods but even the richest nations face the prospect of economic recession and a world in conflict over diminishing resources. Mitigating climate change, eradication poverty and promoting economic and political stability are tasks which we must face, tackle and overcome if the planet earth is to be saved from the impending doom! Can man save planet earth from the impending doom without God's assistance? BACKGROUND DESTRUCTIVE ACTIONS OF MAN (1) Greenhouse Effect: The greenhouse effect is an important mechanism of temperature regulation. The earth returns energy received from the sun to space by reflecting light and emitting heat. Part of the out-going heat flow is absorbed by greenhouse gases (viz. carbon dioxide CO2; methane CH4; nitrous oxide N2O; hydro fluorocarbons HFC; per fluorocarbons PFC; and sulphurhexafluoride SF6) and re-irradiated back to earth. Though these gases occur naturally, human activities have significantly increased their presence in the atmosphere. These gases vary considerably in amounts emitted, but also in their warming effect and in the length of time they remain in the atmosphere as active warming agents. The higher the emissions of the greenhouse gases, the higher the re-irradiated heat from the sun back to the earth surface resulting in higher temperatures and global warming. The sum effect of the increased atmospheric temperature and global warming is a change in the climate. (ii) Link between Man's activities and greenhouse gas emissions: (a) Energy generation: Coal and oil paved the way for the developed world's industrial progress. Fast developing countries (such as India, China, Japan, Korea and Brazil) are now taking the same path in search of equal living standards. Meanwhile, in the least developed countries (including some of the oil producing countries), even less sustainable energy sources, such as coal and wood remain the only available sources of energy production. Energy is involved in just about everything we do. Depending on the source of the energy, the efficiency of its use and the waste created in the process, its use and production emits from zero to enormous amounts of greenhouse gases. Energy generation is the single most important human activity resulting in greenhouse gas emission, in particular because most of it is produced from fossil fuel such as oil, gas and coal; the latter being mainly used to generate electricity and the former used to power machines used for production in factories including aircrafts, ships, cars and trucks. Coal, particularly brown coal (also known as lignite) is the energy source with the highest greenhouse gas emissions/energy unit. At the same time, coal is cheap and is the most widely available fossil fuel. It is present in almost every country, with commercial mining over 50. It is also the fossil fuel with the longest predicted availability. At current production levels, coal will be available at least 155 more years (compared with 41 for oil and 65 for gas). (b) Production, Consumption and Packaging: Since 1987, the earth's population has grown by almost 30% and the global economic output has risen by 76%. Average per capita gross national income has almost doubled from about US$3,300 to US$6,400 and just about everything needs energy to be produced. The global primary energy supply (of which 80% of it is supplied by fossil fuels) increased by 4% annually from 1987 to 2004. Demand for energy is predicted to continue to grow to at least 50% by 2030 (with the population hitting the 9 billion mark) as the faster developing countries like Brazil, Russia, India and China continue their rapid economic growth. A study showed that the annual emissions growth rate for China is at least 11% between 2004 and 2010. However, it should be borne in mind that with about 4 tonnes of CO2/capita, China emits only half as much as Spain and only 20% as much as an average U.S. citizen. Almost everything we produce and consume means greenhouse gas emissions today, because we do not use much renewable energy or live sustainably. Much of what we use may arrive with superfluous packaging (e.g. nylon, plastic bags etc); itself a problem to dispose of a waste of energy and a source of emission. And much of what is brought ends up being thrown away sooner or later. Waste rots away, emitting methane if it is organic or emitting CO2 if it is buried. Waste and waste accounts for about 3% of human induced greenhouse gas emissions. (c) Transport: But not only consuming ever more goods demands a lot of energy, getting from one place to another does, too. Most of us value transport or perhaps we do not value it as highly as we should, assuming instead that it is our right. Personal and commercial transport consumes about 20% of the global energy supply, 80% of which comes from fossil fuels. So the more an individual acquires or consumes commodities that have had to travel to the point of use, the larger their climate footprint will be. Globally, the energy used by road transport is the biggest chunk in transport-related emissions, accounting for more than 79.5% within the sector, while the air, sea and rail account for 13%, 7% and 0.5% respectively. (d) Housing: Buildings are responsible for more than 40% of energy used in OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation Development) countries and at a global level, they account for 30% of greenhouse gas emissions. In absolute terms, the amount is rising fast as construction continues apace, especially in rapidly developed countries. Heating, cooling and lighting our homes and using household appliances absorb 11% of global energy. Yet the average U.K. household could save around 2 tonnes of CO2 annually by making its home energy efficient; in essence, improve insulation, heating systems and lighting. (e) Agriculture: Agriculture is an important contributor to climate change with greenhouse gas emissions comparable in volume to the transport sector. First, there is the carbon emitted from tilling and deforestation. Then there is the use of fossil fuels in fertilizer and agricultural chemicals production for farm machinery in intensive agriculture and for transporting animals and crops from farm to market. But the main greenhouse gasses emitted in agriculture are methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). These arise from the livestock industry. Cattle, water buffalo, sheep and other ruminants are animals with a special stomach that allows them to digest tough plant materials. Digestion produces methane, which the animals get rid by releasing it at either end. Nitrous oxide (N2O) release is mostly linked to the use of artificial nitrate fertilizers to improve yields. Nitrogen fertilizer in particular is extremely fossil fuel-intensive, requiring 1.5 tonnes of oil equivalents to make 1 tonne of fertilizer. A study in 2006 showed that food production chain across the European Union accounted for 31% of all EU greenhouse gas emissions. This is because factors such as agricultural production, processing (manufacturing), refrigeration, transport, packaging, retail, home storage, cooking and waste disposal must be considered in the food production chain. Different food caused impacts at different stages. Potatoes, chick peas and tea leaves, for example need fewer greenhouse gases to grow than they do to cook baking a potato in an oven, boiling chick peas for an hour till soft, or switching the kettle on for tea all consume significant amounts of energy. (f) Land Use Change and Deforestation: Another important part of CO2 in the atmosphere comes from changes in land use which accounts for almost 20% of the atmospheric carbon. Trees and other plants remove Carbon from the atmosphere in the process of growing. When they decay or are burnt, much of these stored carbon escapes back into the atmosphere. Deforestation also causes the release of Carbon stored in the soil (as does ploughing), and if the forest is not restored afterwards the land will store much less Carbon . Increasing numbers of livestock in modern intensive farming systems are given high-energy feed like soya, often produced in developing countries (and used in developed ones). To find the land to grow it, ranchers will sometimes turn forests to pasture. So, our meal of choice has direct consequences for the climate. Agriculture is only one of the reasons for deforestation. Activities that result in land disturbance such as opencast mining or the building of sprawling cities and highways are other pressures on virgin forests. Destruction of wet lands and peat bogs also destroy carbon sinks. SOLUTION TO GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS From the foregoing, there is incontrovertible evidence to prove that there is a global problem of greenhouse gas emissions arising from human activities. As the human population increases daily, the problem gets worse. Something must be done. But what and who should do it? Can man do it or does he need God's intervention? Politicians, business and industry, science and technology have roles to play. However if we really want a changed planet earth, it is useful to remember where to begin; be the change you want to see. It comes down to each one of us. No individual is going to make a difference. But millions of individuals together can make all the difference. The gulf yawns before us, but no one is going to try to cross it in a single leap. Some might use the argument that whatever they do as individuals is too little to affect the planet, so they need no bother to make an effort. These people are maybe not aware that even if not directly emitting, their way of life has an indirect influence over greenhouse gas emissions, and that albeit indirectly, with their influence in impending doom could be averted. A new approach to solve the problem of greenhouse gas emission is proposed. A NEW APROACH TO SOLVE THE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION PROBLEM FAITH The spirit is the mighty wind of God that needs to blow freely through the life of His church and the individual lives of His children. The spirit is the one who will inspire faith. And yet so often the intellect is allowed to stifle the working of the spirit. That is what happens when people hold on to their conventional, legalistic attitudes than the word of God. Jesus approached every situation (problem) from a spiritual angle. He taught His disciples to approach problems not with an intellectual appraisal of the situation, but with a spiritual attitude. In order words, not by saying, "what can we do?" but rather, "what can God do?" The feeding of the multitude is a good example. A great crowd of people had been following Jesus "because they saw the signs which He did on those who were diseased". (John 6:2). Jesus put a test question to Philip: "How are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?" This He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do (John 6: 5-6). Jesus began at Philip's level. He knows that the disciple will approach the situation with his intellect, rather than with the eyes of faith. It is his faith that is being tested! Philip answered him, "Two hundred denarii would not buy bread for each of them to get a little." (John 6: 7). That is the answer of a right thinking and intellectual person: a good sound and logical appraisal of the solution. Andrew's attitude is similar: Andrew, Simon Peter's brother said to Him, "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they among so many?" (John 6: 8-9). True. But neither statement takes into account that Jesus is at hand to help. "Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, He distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish as much as they wanted," (John 6: 11). Jesus is the one who can take a paltry insignificant offering and multiply it, so that it meets not only the needs of the people but satisfies all they want. He told the disciples to gather all the fragments left over and they filled twelve baskets; one for each of them. No doubt that rubbed the lesson home! From being defeated by the enormity of the task when they approached it with their intellect, they now feast on the abundance of what Jesus has provided by The Spirit. As regards the greenhouse gas emissions and Climate Change, whose picnic lunch-pack can Jesus use and what constitutes the lunch-pack to decrease the emissions and avert the impending doom of planet earth? A. Whose picnic pack-lunch can Jesus use to the greenhouse gas emissions and minimize their impacts on planet earth? A true disciple. The qualities of a true disciple of Jesus include: (1) He "loves the Lord his God with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his mind and with all his strength "(Mark 12:30) and with all his resources. (2) He "loves his neighbor (irrespective of nationality, color or creed) as himself" (Mark 12:31) (3) He "denies himself and takes his cross daily and follows Jesus Christ." (Luke 9:23)(1 John 3:16). Nothing and nobody (and even his life) is more important to him than his Lord and master, Jesus Christ. (Luke 14:26) (4) He is born again by water and spirit (John 3:5). At the point of the new birth, he is an infant and prone to falling and standing aright with God. He feeds continuously the new spirit in him with the word of God with which he grows, matures and bears fruit of the spirit. (John 6:53-58; John 15:16; 1Peter 2:2) (5) To grow and mature, he is a part of the body of Christ (The Church) in the church he serves and is reserved. (Ephesians 4:11-16; 1 Cor. 12:12-28). (6) While serving in the body of Christ, he is conscious of the fact that no service, be it pastoring, teaching, hospitality or cleaning the environment, is more important than the other (1 Cor. 12: 24-26). (7) He must be ready at all times to preach salvation and Jesus Christ to the unbelievers in the world. (Mark 16:15-16) (8) He offers his body as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, as this is his spiritual act of worship. (Rom. 12:1) (9) He lives a holy and sinless life conscious of the fact that he is dead to sin and his life is now hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3) and that anyone who continues to sin has neither seen Jesus nor known Him. (1John 3:6) (10) The Holy Spirit of God testifies with the spirit of a true disciple that he is God's child, which makes him heir of God and co-heir with Jesus Christ, as he shares in Jesus' sufferings in order that he may also share in Christ's glory (Rom. 8:16-17). So whether alive or dead, he is confident that he is in God's eternal kingdom. B. What constitutes the "lunch-pack" of the disciple? His lifestyle! There is no true disciple of Jesus a Christian who has not got at least a resource which he can give to Jesus to use to reverse the ever increasing amount of greenhouse gas emissions and their impacts on the planet earth. The resource(s) include among others: 1. Need rather than want will determine his lifestyle. Unlike in the past when he got whatever he wanted because he could afford it, now and in the future, he would go for what he needs and whatever that is in his possession which he does not need, he would give to those in need. 2. He would minimize his energy needs and consciously avoid those actions which directly or indirectly contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. Such actions include adequate home insulation, switching off lights and appliances not in use, soaking grains (for example rice, maize, sorghum, peas, beans etc) in water many hours before cooking to reduce the time taken to cook them, purchase unrefrigerated food products and avoid waste, among others. 3. At least once a week, he will fast and pray for God's intervention. If the fast will constitute a health risk, he can eat only locally grown fruits and water during the day fast. 4. If he can not totally abstain from eating beef and beef products, he could cut their consumption by about 50%. 5. He would undertake only absolutely necessary journeys, avoiding the peak period and not driving aggressively 6. He plants at least a tree and nurtures it to maturity. 7. Agro-forestry should be practiced by the farmers instead of sole crop cultivation, with its attendant advantages of source of carbon sink, organic matter production from biologically fixed atmospheric nitrogen, recycling of nutrients and moisture due to the activities of the roots of the nitrogen fixing trees. 8. Smaller animals (such as rabbits, green cutters, rodents etc) and pigs should replace large animals (such as cows and buffalos) as sources of meat. 9. Livestock and poultry should be kept on concrete floor and their waste in form of slurry should be channeled to pits. The slurry is then used as organic fertilizer in crop/vegetable production. 10. He should consciously live holy a holy and righteous lifestyle which is eco-friendly. All his thoughts, words and actions are aimed at pleasing God as his character is a product of the Holy Spirit, not by the mere moral discipline of trying to live by law. This is because he is not under law but under the grace of God.(Rom. 5:12-21; 6:1-23; Gal. 4:8-10; Col. 2:6-16) WHAT CAN GOD DO WITH THE LITTLE CONTRIBUTION(S) OF A DISCIPLE? We are assured that "God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power (Holy Spirit) within us." (Eph. 3:20). Examples abound of how God has set some processes in action in nature to regulate the climatic conditions of planet earth. These include, the eruption of volcanoes to increase the earth's temperature when it is falling, the symbiotic relationship between animals (including man) and plants with regards to the essential gases they need for their survival The oxygen animals need are emitted by plants and the carbon dioxide the plants need are emitted by animals, the cyclic evaporation of water from the surface of the earth and its precipitation in the form of rainfall etc. As regards the climate change planet earth is confronting presently, God can reverse the process and minimize the impacts of the change on earth. How? Instead for the greenhouse gases to retain the heat from the sun, which will continue to heat planet earth, the gases will reflect back to the sun the heat. Did you say, it is impossible? That is the human intellect talking and not faith! "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26). Going through the Holy Bible, God delights in doing what man thinks is impossible. God that made the axe-head (iron) to rise from the bottom of the river and float for the sake of "the company of prophets" (2Kings 6: 1-7), can he not make the rising temperature of the earth to drop for the sake of His children? All God demands is faith with which mountains will move and an assurance that "nothing will be impossible for you. "(Matthew 17: 20-21)" We are not talking of the wishful thinking of "men of the world" (sinners) or of carnal Christians (Though they attend church services regularly)! No, we are talking of mature born-again Christians who Jesus promised, "to ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you" (Matthew 7:7) Also Jesus said in John 15:16, "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit fruit that will last. Then the father will give you whatever you ask in my name. The point being made is that mature born-again Christians will not ask anything from God from a selfish point of view, rather he would ask according to the will of the father, with the confidence that what he asks will be granted" (1John 5:14) What is God's will concerning planet earth? God's will is for planet earth to be the eternal habitat of man and that was why he planted the garden of Eden on earth and gave man the responsibility of taking care of it. At the end of creation, "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And these was evening, and there was morning the sixth day. "(Gen. 1:31). To confirm this will, Isaiah 54:9-10 states, "To me (God) this is like the days of Noah, when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth, so now I have sworn not to be angry with you (man) never to rebuke you again. Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken, nor my covenant of peace be removed, says the Lord who has compassion on you." If therefore, man's activities (Due to its fallen nature selfish interest) portend destruction of planet earth, God's will is for the earth to be saved and restored by the activities of the regenerated man (selfless and sacrificial lifestyle) These Christians worldwide are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that they may declare the praises of Him who called them out of darkness into His wonderful light." (1Peter 2:9; Rev. 1:4-6) SAVE PLANET EARTH MISSION Are you such a Christian and true disciple of Jesus and are you willing to give all to Jesus to use as He pleases. If yes, you are invited to be part of the save planet earth mission. It is a mission, possible. After accepting the invitation to be part of the mission, please ensure that others (e.g. your immediate and extended family members, friends and acquaintances etc) know of the mission. Also support in whatever form for the aims and objectives of the mission to be achieved DEDICATION: Save Planet Earth Mission is a spiritual body dedicated to the glory of God and the eternal existence of man on Planet Earth. FOR ENQUIRIES CONTACT Dr .K. Olufemi Awonaike, 15, Franis Famurewa Str; Behind Government College, Ibadan. Oyo State, Nigeria. G.P.O.Box 36607, Dugbe, Ibadan Oyo State. Nigeria. e-mail : [email protected] telephone: +234-803-701-272 Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |