Well written article Holly. I go back and forth on so many of these issues, so much so that I feel guilty over most of the decisions I make because I always feel as tho I could have done something differently and better. But, I will just simemr down a bit and go forward with what I've been prompted in my heart to change thus far and go from there.

Holly, your review is one of the most rational essays I've seen on this subject, which I've studied since the 1970s when the panic was all about global cooling.

I've just finished a 4-page feature on the global warming "crisis" pointing how how global-governance politics have overwhelmed climate science on this issue. The newsletter containing that feature is called SEASONS. It will be posted by July 1 on the website www.martingoodrichwaddell.com

Thanks for a totally sane and balanced viewpoint. I have felt torn too, like I was not being loyal to these fine gruops if I chose one over the other. When the reason I admire them so much has more to do with their faith and not their political stands.
"Global warming" does seem more and more political and not about being good stewads of what God has given us.
Keep up the good work for the Lord and for our earth.

It concerns me that we as God's representatives are feuding over the state of His creation. Is it possible, as in most disagreements, that the truth is somewhere between the polarized stances of these two camps?

I agree in theory and attempt to demonstrate in action that we can make a difference by our lifestyle. However, it would also seem that climactic fluctuations are rather cyclical. All this leads me to more questions, not to a list of answers. This is a topic that will hold my interest for some time.

There seems to be good evidence that the world warms up and cools in cycles. This being the case, I am not sure if anything we do can stop it. However, we are POLLUTING the air, the water and the ground where we have to grow our food!

Does that sound smart? and if we back off from pouring disgusting chemicals and junk into the air, water, etc., EVERYONE can benefit!

If it helps with global warming, great! If not, we have given ourselves s reprieve from being poisoned to death by our own hands.

I think there is good data and a general consensus that global temperature is increasing, but I am afraid that is where the consensus ends.

Scientists or politicians that make dire predictions and assign blame are a bit overconfident in their theories. For centuries the accepted model for orbital mechanics what that the earth was the center of the universe... That proved to be a bit wrong. There is a possibility that global warming is another example of a theory that fits the data, but is wrong.

Global climate changes is a natural process. It happens. There is probably some man made contribution to the current data, who knows? Certainly not the scientists and politicians. Although they would like us to think they have it nailed down, they don't. There is a growing community that are now correlating global temperature to sunspot activity. They may well be wrong too.

As stewards of the bounty of God's creation, we should certainly do what we can to take good care of it. Driving cars with better fuel mileage, looking for cleaner energy sources, and recycling are all good ideas independent of global warming.

I find all the fear mongering around global climate change to be a bit over the top. It is no longer science, it is politics.

This was a fantastic article. Numerous cities have a division of the California-based freecycle.org where you can give and receive items, therefore reducing waste to landfills and incinerators.

Whether global warming is cyclical or not is semi-irrelevant, what matters is that we respect the earth and everything on it. We can do that in small ways: don't eat from fast food places where all their food has extra hormones and steroids and other things you don't really want in your body, reduce your needs, certainly if you're a family of eight you may need a larger vehicle, but our smaller family of five gets by with a sedan and a bike rack instead of a large SUV.

Recycle everything you can. I see my neighbors recyclables and I never see paper or glossy paper. This means that all their mail, including catalogs and magazines don't get recycled, they go to or local incinerator. Small things like that reduce waste and reducing waste reduces pollution, whether or not pollution mitigates global warming. Thanks Holly for a well-written, thought-provoking article.

Holly says: Wow, what great, deep comments posted here! Thanks for taking time to think and to share your thoughts. All of these comments provide me so much more to think about. I love that you're expanding my perspective and keeping the conversation going.

This is a subject on many peoples minds and it's wonderful to hear unbiased article. I heard 2 conflicting things recently. First, it was the pro-environment at the cost of society speech and then, second, a Godly person stating that humans are above animals speech and people need jobs more than the spotted lizard needs a home speach. I couldn't help but wonder about a middle ground. Yes, people come before an animal but are we cutting a forest down to build another factory just so we can afford 3 tvs and 4 cars? There is a middle ground soemwhere. There are also big health concerns. I live in an area with numerous factories and coal burning power generators and this affects the air quality and the health of those here. We just had an ozone alert weekend and this is the midwest, not LA. The more electricity we need, the more power generators we need and there are immediate health consequences. Also, jobs go to companies outside the US because its cheaper not only due to labor but because they don't have the environmental laws we do. Unfortunately, anyone who has made a terrarium with kids knows that in a contained system, stuff stays there. The earth is a contained system and the pollutants don't just stay where they are manufactured. Whether or not humans have increased global warming, are lifestyles which increase pollutants do harm our health. I can't help but wonder about the kids living in these areas that have developing lungs.

Holly says: Cee, you bring up two really important points. I've heard Christians attempting to "Christianize" the discussion of environmental protection. Proponents have dubbed it "Creation care" in hope of getting more Christians interested in the issue, while opponents refer to Scripture about subduing the Earth and having dominion over animals. That troubles me because both sides seem to be attempting to create a Christian position--to imply there's only one opinion that every Christian should have. I'll be writing more about that in my next blog post.

The second point you bring up is super important: This is an incredibly complex issue. There are local battles going on over mining and logging throughout the country. I watched a documentary that discussed how families that depend on mining and logging jobs could be affected by laws designed to protect the environment. Basically, these folks have lived in the same place, doing the same work, for generations. And if mining or logging is scaled back in their town, they won't be able to eat. They don't have other skills that can be used where they live, so they'll be forced to move. And where will they go? How will they work, given their only work experience is in mining or logging?

That documentary also showed the problems mining was creating for nearby communities that had their drinking water contaminated. We know the "Erin Brockovich"-type stories of dumped industrial waste and contaminates that appear to have caused everything from asthma to cancers. It then seems natural there are environmentalists who want our country to return to pre-industrial times. I hope that doesn't happen, because beyond our desire to acquire more stuff (the sheer demand that seems to be driving factories to produce more and pollute more) there are families who need those factory jobs to feed and clothe their children.

There aren't any easy answers. For me, it helps to look at the little pictures (individuals) rather than the big one (global warming, air/water pollution). The little pictures would be the individuals who are affected by industry--both those who work in industrial jobs and those who've been affected by industrial pollution in their hometowns. Then I ask myself, How am I contributing to those little pictures? For example, I think about folks who live near landfills, and I think about how much waste I create that goes into those landfills. I think about the gas I use, and how more pollution is created both in the production of my gas and the pollution I create when I burn it. In that way, I feel like I can actually contribute to a cleaner environment, even if I can't solve the big picture problems.

Thanks so much for you good thoughts, and for giving me more to think about!

I enjoyed the article, but find it hard to think we would have to go out and buy a new car right away when the one we have is still a very good car and serves us well. We lived for a while in an area where logging was a main industry. The philosophy there was ..trees are to be planted, grown, and cut to be used...plant more each time and they did it. Otherwise you have huge forest fires that pollute everything.

Holly says: Anita, thanks for bringing up an important point about that philosophy toward planting. Sounds like there was a great attitude about replanting in the area where you'd lived.

Like you, I can't afford to "go green" like those Hollywood actors who rush out to buy a Prius and to build a eco-friendly home. For me, it's about realizing the small, daily things I can do, like washing my clothes in cold water, turning off the faucet when I brush my teeth, and organizing my errands together so I'm not driving all over town all week long.

I don't ever want to have the attitude, "I don't need to think about what I use or how much garbage I throw away, or how I dispose of my stuff." (An example would be folks who pour motor oil into the ground--instead of taking it to be properly disposed of--well knowing that's not a good thing to do.) I've heard that attitude coming from some Christians. They'll say, "We were meant to have dominion over animals and to subdue the earth." And that attitude isn't the same thing as feeling we are stewards of this planet. I truly believe we should care for and treasure all God has given us.

Thanks for sharing your personal experience of living in a place where people appreciated their God-given resources. We can all learn from such examples of gratitude.

Well, what does everyone expect the earth to act like when it is temporarily taken over by satan? God is allowing these things because time as we know it, is about to be finished. We are in the 11th hour. Please remember, we are leaving here before it gets too bad. We are not appointed to Gods wrath if we have been born from above. We can be good stewards at present, but one day very soon, we will leave this, and when we return, God will make it Paradise. Thank you