A Christian Perspective on Global Climate Change:

How should followers of Jesus Christ respond?

A slideshow presentation by Dr. Mike Mooring, Point Loma Nazarene University

Everywhere we turn these days we’re hearing about global warming, or more properly, global climate change (since more than just temperature is involved). Climate change is a major story in the newspapers, on television and radio, across the internet, and even in the movie theaters. In the scientific journals, new reports are being published almost daily warning of the dire consequences of global warming. With the recent release of the Fourth Assessment Report by the UN-affiliated IPCC, or Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, we are told that global warming is real and that it is almost certainly caused by human activities like burning fossil fuels and cutting down rainforests. And yet, despite an overwhelming consensus by the scientific community, the “climate crisis” is widely misunderstood in the mind of the general public. We are told that this is a “planetary emergency”, yet many Americans are not sure that global warming is even real. What is the truth? And if global warming actually does threaten our future, how should followers of Jesus Christ respond?

In this slideshow presentation, Dr. Mike Mooring presents an explanation of the science behind global warming that is readily understandable to a lay audience. Although climate science is complex, the basic factors driving our changing climate are not complicated. The presentation opens by considering what the Bible says about environmental stewardship and our responsibility to care for God’s creation. After explaining the greenhouse effect, there follows a review of the evidence showing that the world is getting hotter. This includes melting glaciers, sea level rise, heat waves, more intense storms, flooding, droughts, melting and breakup of polar sea ice, coral bleaching, species extinctions, expansion of pests and invasive species, and increase in vector-borne diseases. Ice core measures of past climate reveal that the current warming trend is far above the natural cycle of variation for as far back as we can measure. The presentation then takes a look at the factors causing the collision between human civilization and the environment, including the population explosion, science and technology, and our perception of the dangers. Common misconceptions are addressed, such as whether it is possible to protect the environment and still maintain a strong economy. The final point made is that it is fully within our technological means to start solving the climate crisis right now, while there is still time to avoid some of its worst consequences.

The purpose of the presentation is NOT to make people feel guilty, depressed or hopeless, nor to project a particular political agenda. Our goal is to inform, challenge, and inspire the Christian community with the hope the Gospel brings. We believe that this is neither a liberal nor a conservative issue, but rather a moral and biblical issue. Our goal is that those who attend this presentation will leave with a clear sense of both the danger at hand as well as the opportunity to renew our world for the glory of God.

Dr. Mike Mooring is a Professor in the Biology Department at Point Loma Nazarene University, where he teaches ecology and environmental biology. For the past 10 years, Dr. Mooring has been teaching his students the Biblical principles of creation care at PLNU, and is currently Co-Chair of the Resource Stewardship Task Force. As a practicing ecologist and Christian, he is well suited to present the climate issue to the Christian community. Dr. Mooring is married and has 2 young children.

WHAT IS GLOBAL WARMING?

Carbon dioxide and other gases warm the surface of the planet naturally by trapping solar heat in the atmosphere. This is a good thing because it keeps our planet habitable. However, by burning fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil and clearing forests we have dramatically increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere and temperatures are rising.
 

The vast majority of scientists agree that global warming is real, it’s already happening and that it is the result of our activities and not a natural occurrence.¹ The evidence is
overwhelming and undeniable.

We’re already seeing changes. Glaciers are melting, plants and animals are being forced from their habitat, and the number of severe storms and droughts is increasing.

• The number of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes has almost doubled in the last 30 years.²
• Malaria has spread to higher altitudes in places like the Colombia and Africa.³
• The flow of ice from glaciers in Greenland has more than doubled over the past decade.⁴
• At least 279 species of plants and animals are already moving closer to the poles.⁵

If the warming continues, we can expect catastrophic consequences.

• Deaths from global warming will double in just 25 years to 300,000 people a year.⁶
• Global sea levels could rise by 20 feet with the loss of shelf ice in Greenland and Antarctica.⁷
• Heat waves will be more frequent and more intense.
• Droughts and wildfires will occur more often.
• The Arctic Ocean could be ice free in summer by 2050.⁸
• More than a million species worldwide could be driven to extinction by 2050.⁹

Sponsored by:

Point Loma Nazarene University

Resource Stewardship Task Force

www.pointloma.edu/AboutPLNU/Task_Force.htm

Presentation courtesy of The Climate Project

www.theclimateproject.org