I believe that global warming is a reality.
Greenland and Antarctica have lost an estimated 6.8 trillion tons of ice since the early 1990s. Arctic sea ice has been declining at the rate of 13% per decade.
The apparent reason for this ice loss is the use of fossil fuels, i.e. coal and petroleum. When coal and petroleum are burned, carbon dioxide is released. Carbon dioxide traps heat in the atmosphere. The more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the more heat trapped.
The Earth’s temperature has increased 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit since the Industrial Revolution began around 1750. That was when coal was beginning to be used to power steam engines and locomotives.
If carbon emissions are left unchecked, the Earth’s temperature will most likely continue to rise and sea levels will rise as polar ice melts.
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As Pope Francis points out in an encyclical on the environment entitled, “Laudato Si” the rising seas will affect many of the world’s poorest, who live along the ocean coastlines.
Some may say that God will take care of all this. I believe in God, but hasn’t he given us the ability to reason scientifically?
Aren't we called to be good stewards of creation?
Patrick Borden
Brainerd
The Trust Project
