Yesterday I posted, on this blog, a plea for mercy and understanding as I grieve the "rise of a man and an ideology that seems, to me, to be dangerous."
Because I live the privileged life of a white man in this world, my main concern is the long term effects of human-caused climate change.
Below I'll quote an article that speaks to my concerns. I quote it here so you can read it without needing to deal with advertising. I quote it because, much to my grief, some of my friends have such a different understanding about this issue.
The "climate change skeptic" position is now poised to take over in the United States. Because of that, and because so many dear friends think I'm wrong on this, I am filled with sorrow.
The article below was written by John Abraham, "a professor of thermal and fluid sciences at the University of St. Thomas School of Engineering" here in St. Paul, Minnesota. For more about John Abraham, click <here>.
I don't want to fall into despair and complete negativity as regards "conservatism." I thought conservatism had to do with "conservation"! But it seems to me that "conservatism" has somehow gotten married to climate change skepticism. I don't know how that happened, but, as the article below says, many of us believe this will bring dire consequences to God's good earth.
And many of my friends are in the climate change skeptics camp, believing that I am the victim of a liberal conspiracy, believing I'm deluded.
I am conservative in many ways! Those who have followed this blog for the last few years may know how, back a few years ago, I was attacked online for being too conservative. My base values on God's plan for what has been called "the traditional family" have not changed, and some of my liberal friends think I'm so wrong about that. That's just one example.
So again, I post this with a prayer for God's mercy, and for the mercy of my friends. Take time to listen (or read) a bit to see why I'm so broken up by what happened on Tuesday.
God's peace be with you all.
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Article from The Guardian, a British newspaper and online news source. (Click <here> to learn more about this news source.) The original online article can be found at <this link>.
Many of us in the United States are in deep shock and despair. The election of Donald Trump
speaks of a country and a world that represents so many things that go
against our deepest grains. However, as I told my children this morning,
the Earth will still turn, the sun will still rise. In fact, a Trump
presidency will not have the dire consequences that many of us fear –
especially for people like me who will be insulated from his policies.
Surely it will change the economics and courts in the US, among other
things. But really, all of these are transient.
The one thing that isn’t transient is the impact this will
have on climate change. It is now virtually certain the world will not
meet any of its climate targets. If Trump (and the Republican-controlled
Congress) stand by their pledges, we will see a major rollback of the
tremendous progress that has been made on reducing emissions. A Trump
presidency will likely set us back at least a decade, perhaps longer.
And that is a decade we can’t afford.
The world will blow past the 2C (3.6F) target set in Paris. This means it will be difficult to avoid the worst consequences of climate change.
The election also affects how we should talk about climate
change. In the US, and in many other countries, opposing steps to cut
carbon pollution has become a litmus test for conservative politicians.
So, in this sense, conservatives now own climate change. I can just
imagine the slogans, “Climate change, brought to you by your
neighborhood conservatives.”
George W Bush was the worst president ever on climate
change. Back then, with the reality of climate change not as widely
known, it is conceivable to give voters a pass. But not now. Anyone who
voted for Trump shares the responsibility for what is now inevitable.
It’s really too bad because many conservatives certainly
don’t want to destroy the Earth’s climate. Furthermore, there are some
conservatives who do take climate change seriously. However, when a
central belief to conservatism results in decades of inaction, it makes
it impossible to avoid staring facts in the face.
Conservatives own climate change.
Conservatives own the consequences of climate change.
They own the increased droughts, more severe storms, sea level rise, and floods.
They own the heat waves, the loss of habitat and the shifting climate zones.
They own the climate refugees, the resulting political strife, and climate conflicts.
They own it all.
Liberals, both in the US and around the world, have tried to work with conservatives to devise practical plans that will reduce the threats of climate change. In the past few years there was real progress.
We had hope.
Now, we can look forward to the US going backwards. Becoming
the world’s laggard on climate change (again). Once again, America’s
leaders will describe climate change as a hoax or as a non-threat.
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I didn't quote the end of Professor Abraham's article.
You can read it if you want.
But I don't feel the same way he does about those who hold climate change skeptic positions. I still hope we can talk and come to some kind of agreement as to the facts.
O Lord, may it be so.
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