The title of this review may be confusing considering that it is an assessment of the book Following Jesus in a Warming World: A Christian Call to Climate Action by Kyle Meyaard-Schaap (IVP, Downers Grove, IL, February 2023). However, “Need We Fear Another Ice Age?” is the title of a Christian tract written by Walter Lang and Vic Lockman to comfort Christians and witness to others at a time in the 1970s when scientists and the public were expecting the return of a planetary … [Read more...]
Climate Change Hysteria and the Rise of the Religious Left
The climate catastrophe crusade has been joined by a new regiment of converts: the religious left wing. The troop strength has been building over recent decades; the last few years, however, have seen a surge in the power of this cohort. The religious contingent is imbued with a spiritual fervor. Unfortunately for the Christian faithful, the spirit consists of the spirit of this age, or, as the apostle Paul might put it, “this present evil age.” And unlike Paul, who announced that his job was … [Read more...]
BOOK REVIEW: ‘Climate Uncertainty and Risk: Rethinking Our Response’
What was once tagged the “lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer” is now deemed “global boiling” by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. With such hyperbole, it looks like the United Nations is tagging another aphorism: “Make hay while the sun is shining.” The hot summer weather has increased the hysteria surrounding the global warming hypothesis to a fever pitch. So, a cooling in the form of measured perspective is badly needed. Enter “Climate Uncertainty and Risk: Rethinking Our Response,” … [Read more...]
Time to Cool Climate Panic Over Summer Heat
There is some hysteria over recent declarations of worldwide, record-breaking heat based on woefully limited climate data. Perspective is badly needed to calm the air. Official proclamations cannot change the climate or alter the state of the atmosphere, but they can lead to undue panic. The assertion that the exceptionally voluminous quantity of air that surrounds the planet is undergoing disastrous disruption by anthropogenic actions is a hypothesis, not an established fact. The lowest … [Read more...]
Using Science To Further Government Objectives
“Scientists Discover Strong Correlation Between Trusting Government And Eating Paint Chips” read a recent headline in The Babylon Bee. The article went on to report that “trust in government also ranked high among gasoline sniffers, toad lickers, and oven cleaner huffers.” Although the article is ostensibly satirical, trusting government does seem a mite flaky these days, especially when combined with a trust in mainstream media reporting on science in the service of government. Image: … [Read more...]
BOOK REVIEW: ‘Escape From Model Land’
In the early days of my career in meteorology, which included determining the impact of air pollution emissions using mathematical models, one of my bosses, concerned about the outcome of a computer model I was using to assess a contentious industrial operation, asked me: “What will the model show?” I replied facetiously: “Well, what do you want it to show?” In no way was I going to manipulate a model to get the results I or anyone else wanted. But the point is that models can produce results … [Read more...]
BOOK REVIEW: ‘Letter to the American Church’
Like the German church in the 1930s, the American church in the 2020s is culpable for the pending devastation of human life and the collapse of a great nation. Comparisons could not be more compelling as proffered in “Letter to the American Church” by New York Times bestselling author Eric Metaxas. “Letter to the American Church” is a culmination of Mr. Metaxas’ in-depth understanding of the decline and fall of Germany under the Third Reich, especially as seen through the … [Read more...]
Science returns to the Middle Ages with a vengeance
Touring Britain's Cotswolds region in Gloucestershire, England, and beyond can be downright inspirational. Castles long ago conquered, now in ruins, recall a cold, hard past — a past that relied on the sun and wood for heat, coupled with wind and water for power. And mostly only feudal lords and royal gentry could comfortably afford even paltry luxuries on a regular basis. Today it's back to the future of medieval times with a vengeance and a modern twist. Not only are we moving … [Read more...]
‘Trust Us, We’re Experts’ Has Returned To A World Of Faith-Based Science
We are living in an era steeped in faith-based science. Deep trust in science, as defined by those perceived to be authoritative scientists in very complex scientific areas, has become blatant with the coronavirus crisis. To make sure we stayed healthy in addition to staying alive, we trusted what the scientific experts were telling us about the deadly disease. Now a certain amount of distrust of such expertise has set in. As the public learns more about the virus and the subsequent … [Read more...]
Pregnant People are Birthing Distrust of Science
There’s a real concern that the public is losing trust in the scientific establishment, and maybe for good reason. A recent news article in one of the world’s most prestigious science journals, Nature, contained an editor’s statement that sadly apologized for being insensitive to a new unscientific norm. The article was titled, “COVID vaccines safely protect pregnant people: The data are in.” The journal editor thought it was necessary to assure readers that, “Nature recognizes that … [Read more...]