This week, on April 22, we recognize “Earth Day”. You will hear a lot of talk about climate change and how its horrible consequences must be avoided at all costs. Here are some things you won’t hear:
1. The Earth was warmer by about 1.5 degrees 1,000 years ago, a time known as the Medieval Warm Period. Instead of causing damage, the Medieval Warm Period brought about a flowering of European culture. The population boomed and people led more prosperous and better likes, just live in the current warm period.
2. Despite the warnings about increased deaths from Global Warming alarmists, in the U.S. 16 people die from cold for every 1 who dies from heat.
3. The only source of warming for the Earth is the sun, which heats the Earth about 500 degrees (F) above absolute zero. Energy output from the sun varies about 0.5 percent, accounting for at least 2.5 degree (F) temperature variations on the Earth over the past several thousand years.
4. The Sun’s energy output is tied to the number of sun spots, which are darker areas on the sun’s surface caused by intense magnetic activity. Sun spots occur in 11 year cycles with climate warming during the maxima and cooling during the minima. Sunspot numbers also vary over longer periods, creating centuries of warming and cooling.
5. Since 1700, there have been eight periods of extreme sunspot activity, with over 150 sunspots per year. Seven of these eight occurred in the last 50 years of the 20th century when global temperatures had their greatest recent increase. It should be no surprise that “Global Warning” is caused by the source of all warming, the sun.
6. There has been a period of slight global cooling since 2000 which corresponds to a decrease in sun spot activity.
7. There are no practical means to lower global temperatures, even though global warming alarmists would drive up the cost of energy and impoverish billions in a futile effort to control the climate.
Surely God is bemused by our proud and foolish efforts. To those who would impoverish a whole world He would say like He did to Job “Who is this that darkness my counsel with words without knowledge?” (Job 38:2) or “Can you raise your voice to the clouds and cover yourself with a flood of water?” (Job 38:34). Let us pray that God will protect us from the arrogant schemes of the climate extremists and the crony capitalists and politicians who profit from the fear they promote.
Let us change the atmosphere this “Earth Day” by humbly acknowledging that God controls our weather and praying for God’s wisdom to steward the Earth He has given us.
And let us offer a prayer of thanksgiving for the bounty of the Earth and God’s climate control that makes it possible.