Dr. Henry BrouwerMeadowlands Fellowship Christian Reformed Church

September 29, 2019

Understanding Our Understanding Our

CLIMATE CRISISCLIMATE CRISIS

Session 3 Why is climate Session 3 Why is climate change so controversial?change so controversial?

Greta Thunberg speech at the Climate Summit 2019 in New York

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMrtLsQbaok

Historical Background(Abbreviated)

1861 – discovery of greenhouses gases and their role in regulating the earth's temperature by John Tyndall

1896 – Svante Arrhenius: first person to state that increased levels of CO

2 could lead to a warming earth

• calculated a 50C temperature increase if CO2

levels double

Until 1950's – many believed that the oceans would be capable of absorbing excess CO

2 from fossil fuels

1957 – Charles Keeling developed a method to measure the CO

2 levels in the atmosphere on a daily basis

– Discovered that levels varied annually, but were rising steadily

Selected International Conventions1988 – Toronto Conference on the Changing Atmosphere

– Organized by Canadian scientists and put climate change on the global agenda

– Led to UN setting up the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

1992 – Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

– Commitment to sustainable development

• Tensions between rich and poor nations

– Goal: keep carbon emission at 1990 level by 2000

– Voluntary compliance1997 – Kyoto Protocol

– First agreement to mandate mandatory reduction of GHGs

– Not in effect until following decade

– By then, most nations had increased their emissions

International Conventions2015 – Paris climate agreement agreed to

– Reduce global emissions so that the temperature of the earth will not increase by more than 2oC, preferably 1.5oC

– Establish a fund to assist poorer nations with adapting to climate change

– Nations had to state their reduction goal by 2030

– Canada committed to a 30% reduction from 2005 level

Ratification

– All 196 nations signed the accord, 183 have ratified it

– Trump pulled US out June 1, 2017

In 2015, Canada's total greenhouse gas emissions were 722 megatonnes annually of carbon dioxide equivalent. The Paris climate accord commits the country to reducing that total to 517 megatonnes by 2030.

– Currently Canada's emissions are still above 700 Mt and projected to be well short of the goal by 2030

Fossil Fuel Industry Research on Climate Warming

Many of the major oil companies were engaged in climate warming research during the 1970's and 1980's

– Documents and records of these companies point to their full knowledge of the impacts of their industry

Exxon Research and Engineering Company P.O. Box 101, FL0RHAM PARK, NEW JERSEY 07932

November 12, 1982

CO2 "Greenhouse" Effect

TO: See Distribution List Attached

Attached for your information and guidance is briefing material on the CO

2 "Greenhouse" Effect which is receiving increased

attention in both the scientific and popular press as an emergingenvironmental issue. A brief summary is provided along with a more detailed technical review prepared by CPPD.

The material has been given wide circulation to Exxonmanagement and is intended to familiarize Exxon personnel with the subject. It may be used as a basis for discussing the issue withoutsiders as may be appropriate. However, it should be restrictedto Exxon personnel and not distributed externally.

Very truly yours,

M. B. GLASERManager, Env. Affairs Programs

CO2 “Greenhouse Effect”

SUMMARY

Atmospheric monitoring programs show the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased about 8% over the last twenty-five years and now stands at about 340 ppm. This observed increase is believed to be the continuation of a trend which began in the middle of the last century at the start of the Industrial Revolution. Fossil fuel combustion and the clearing of virgin forests (deforestation) are believed to be the primary anthropogenic contributors although the relative contribution of each is uncertain.

The carbon dioxide content of the atmosphere is of concern since it can affect global climate. Carbon dioxide and other trace gases contained in the atmosphere such as water vapor, ozone, methane, carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen, etc., absorb part of the infrared rays reradiated by the earth. This increase in absorbed energy warms the atmosphere inducing warming at the Earth's surface. This phenomenon is referred to as the “greenhouse effect”....

Mitigation of the greenhouse effect would require major reductions in fossil fuel combustion....

This is just a sampling of what was already known by Exxon in 1982! The rest of the report goes into much more detail about the research and implications.

Industry Research on Climate Warming

Royal Dutch Shell – released a video “Climate of Concern“ in 1991

– Gives an excellent overview of the role of GHGs and the impact they have on earth's temperature

– Warns about what continued use of fossil fuels may do to the earth's climate

Much of this early work by the oil companies is now becoming public because of the court cases against oil companies for misleading the public and governments

Why has climate change become such a political and divisive issue?

Fossil fuel and other vested industries

– Realized that if CO2 emissions were to be reduced, their

industry would be seriously affected

– Since the Earth Summit in 1992 there has been a deliberate campaign to misinform, hide research, and stall on any climate action

– Initiated a campaign to create doubt – very effective!• Same PR firm as used by tobacco industry

• Oil industry-funded various Think Tanks (e.g. Cato Inst., Heartland Inst., Fraser Inst.), often associated with universities; controlled who was appointed

• Rise of internet

– Global Climate Coalition at Kyoto 1997

– Result – limited actions taken by government

Koch Brothers“Their politics have been libertarian — both anti-government, tax-cutting

warriors and unapologetic free market crusaders who opposed all kinds of social programs, business and environmental regulations....the brothers were most effective thwarting action on climate change and played a pivotal role in not only delaying but derailing any efforts to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.” https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/david-koch-brothers-political-influence-1.5258077

What are some arguments used by skeptics?1. Climate is always changing

2. There is no proof that anthropogenic CO2 emissions are harmful

3. Natural emissions are MUCH greater than from humans

4. Water vapour is a more powerful GHG than CO2

5. Global warming is just part of a natural cycle

6. Computer models cannot predict the future

7. Sunspots cause the earth's temperature to rise and fall

8. What's wrong with a warmer earth?

9. Antarctic sea ice is increasing

10. Glaciers have always grown and receded

11. There is no consensus on climate change

12. Getting off fossil fuels would be an economic disaster

13. There is no way sustainable energy sources can replace fossil fuels

Why are some Christians skeptical?Mainline denominations and the catholic church have spoken out on

climate change

– Pope Francis’s encyclical on ecology, Laudato Si (2015)

• climate change is real and mainly “a result of human activity.”

– CRC – Adopted “Creation Stewardship Task Force Report” 2012

But some of the Fundamental believers have been vocal deniers. What are their reasons?

1. Belief that God is all powerful

– “As a Christian, I believe that there is a creator in God who is much bigger than us,” Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) told constituents last week at a town hall in Coldwater, Mich. “And I’m confident that, if there’s a real problem, he can take care of it.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2017/06/02/why-dont-christian-conservatives-worry-about-climate-change-god/

Why are some Christians skeptical?Mainline denominations and the catholic church have spoken out on

climate change

– Pope Francis’s encyclical on ecology, Laudato Si (2015)

• climate change is real and mainly “a result of human activity.”

– CRC – Adopted “Creation Stewardship Task Force Report 2012

But some of the Fundamental believers have been vocal deniers. What are their reasons?

1. Belief that God is all powerful

– “As a Christian, I believe that there is a creator in God who is much bigger than us,” Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) told constituents last week at a town hall in Coldwater, Mich. “And I’m confident that, if there’s a real problem, he can take care of it.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2017/06/02/why-dont-christian-conservatives-worry-about-climate-change-god/

Why are some Christians skeptical?

2. Globalism is perceived as supporting the Antichrist

– Quote from The Hal Lindsey Report (2015):

“On this week's program, I'm going to scratch the surface of "The Climate Change Fraud" and show you how it is being used to consolidate the governments of the world into a coalition that may someday facilitate the rise of the Antichrist.

I'm also going to discuss why I believe God guarantees that as long as this old earth is floating in space, there will be no man-made climate change!”

https://www.hallindsey.com/hlr-2-27-2015/

Why are some Christians skeptical?

3. 'Stewardship' is perceived by some as neopagan worship of creation

– Leads to anti-environmentalism

4. Apocalyptic beliefs about 'end-times'

– No need to worry about the present earth

– Climate change may bring Jesus' second coming sooner

5. Mistrust of Science

– Findings of science conflict with their views

• Evolution, age of universe, human sexuality

6. Rise of populism fueled by Internet

– Lack of critical thinking, follow masses

Where does biblical JUSTICE come in?

Resisting the Green Dragon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGEOFipx70U

Belgic Confession Article 2: The Means by Which We Know God

We know God by two means:

First, by the creation, preservation, and governmentof the universe,since that universe is before our eyeslike a beautiful bookin which all creatures,great and small,are as lettersto make us ponderthe invisible things of God:God’s eternal power and divinity,as the apostle Paul says in Romans 1:20.

All these things are enough to convict humansand to leave them without excuse.

Second, God makes himself known to us more clearlyby his holy and divine Word,as much as we need in this life,for God’s gloryand for our salvation.

Summary of Creation Stewardship Task Force Report to Synod 2012

The Creation Stewardship Task Force was tasked by Synod 2010 to “identify a biblical and Reformed perspective of our position on creation stewardship, including climate change…” to be reported back to Synod 2012. After two years of prayerful study and discussion, the Task Force submitted to Synod 2012 that the Christian Reformed Church adopt a position on climate changethat affirms that:1. Climate change is occurring and is very likely due to human activity

2. Human-induced climate change is a moral, ethical, and religious issue

3. Human-induced climate change poses a significant threat to future generations, the poor, and the vulnerable

4. Human-induced climate change, as a global phenomenon, poses a significant challenge to us all

5. Urgent action at the personal, communal, and political levels is required to address climate change.

For the complete report, go here and for the full summary go here

Voices of Young People

Greta Thunberg– Has become a symbol for the youth

• Fridays for Climate“Don’t invite us here to just tell us how inspiring we are without actually

doing anything about it because it doesn’t lead to anything,” she said, according to The Guardian.

“If you want advice for what you should do, invite scientists, ask scientists for their expertise. We don’t want to be heard. We want the science to be heard,” Thunberg added.

Speech at UN COP24 in Poland, Dec. 2018

https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/461856-greta-thunberg-scolds-congress-on-climate-action-i-know-you-are

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFkQSGyeCWg

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