December 21, 2009
Hypocrisy in Copenhagen?
Environmentalists at the climate change summit don't always
practice what they preach.
Hypocrisy in Copenhagen?
Environmentalists at the climate change summit don't always
practice what they preach.
SUMMARY: The UK's Prince Charles delivered the keynote speech at the
climate change summit in Copenhagen, Denmark telling the audience the
world has only seven years to get things straightened out. He arrived there
in a jet belonging to the Queen's fleet, a plane that generated an estimated
6.4 tons of carbon dioxide, 5.2 tons more than if he had used a commercial
flight.
Meanwhile (Prime Minister) Gordon Brown, who in October proclaimed that we
had only 50 days left to "save the world," chartered a 186-seat Airbus to take
him and 20 aides to Denmark. Mr. Brown had predicted floods and droughts
with evacuees and refugees if agreement was not reached in Copenhagen,
and he also said the looming "catastrophe" would be greater than the impact
of both World Wars and the Great Depression combined. But couldn't a
smaller plane have produced much less carbon dioxide? Couldn't he have
shared an aircraft with Prince Charles? Couldn't he have taken a scheduled
flight to the Danish capital, of which there were 16.
The Copenhagen summit, which was held in order to produce an agreement
limiting greenhouse gases, had, according to some experts, the same carbon
footprint as a medium-sized African country such as Malawi. Some 34,000
delegates attended. So many came in private jets that some had to park their
planes in Norway because of lack of space in Denmark. They then proceeded
to make use of gas-guzzling limousines from Germany.
Former U.S. Vice-President Al Gore quoted Dr. Wieslaw Maslowski, a
well-known climate change scientist, as saying there is a 75% chance the
entire north polar ice cap will be ice-free during summer months within five to
seven years. However, Dr. Maslowski immediately denied that he would ever
try to make a prediction like that.
The impression is that at least some of the zealous environmentalists, judging
from their actions, do not really believe things are as bad as they say.
However, uncritical journalists and politicians then pick up on some of their
more outrageous claims and thus affect public opinion. There are more
measured voices though, those who don't rule out the possibility of global
warming or mankind's effect on it, but who call for a less hysterical political
response to the threat.
Three decades ago the scientific and political consensus was that the world
was entering a period of global cooling. In 1972 some distinguished scientists
wrote to President Richard Nixon, expressing the fear the world was entering a
new Ice Age. If the science establishment was wrong then, could it be wrong
again now?
To read the entire opinion piece by Stephen Glover, click on this link to THE
DAILY MAIL.
COMMENT: I don't mean to pick on the environmentalists with this post, but I
think it is important to remind everyone of how pervasive the sin of hypocrisy
can be. It pops up everywhere. Police officers and judges found guilty of
serious crimes. Doctors and nurses living unhealthy lifestyles. Politicians
making campaign promises they have no intention of keeping. Animal-rights
activists who are pro-life when it comes to animals but not pro-life when it
comes to unborn humans.
And then there are us Christians. Televangelists becoming embroiled in
scandals and bringing disgrace upon the whole Christian church. Local
pastors found guilty of adultery or stealing from their congregations. Liberal
preachers who frequently don't believe what they tell their more conservative
congregations. Ministers who still call themselves Christians but who deny
some of the most important statements Jesus Christ ever made such as "I am
the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through
me." (John 14:6) The world doesn't always realize that even Christians are
sinners and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). The world holds
Christians to a higher standard than it does others, which is what I think it
should do.
If what Mr. Glover said about the delegates at the climate change summit is
true, I think they do owe everyone an apology and an explanation. On the
other hand, we all owe the Lord an apology for our acts of hypocrisy and all
our other sins. When we come clean before God, he is there offering full
forgiveness and the promise of eternal life in heaven. And we are comforted
to know there can never be even a hint of hypocrisy or deceit in what the Lord
has told us in His Word.
**************************************************************************************
Want to be automatically notified each time there is a new post? Just e-mail your
request to [admin@lutheranscience.org].
**************************************************************************************
QUESTION OF THE DAY
Does the switch to daylight savings time make some people ill?
**************************************************************************************
NOTE ON VISITOR COMMENTS: Visitor comments are invited including those
containing alternate views. However, comments containing profanity or
advertisements will not be published. After posting a comment, please allow
several hours for it to appear on the blog.
**************************************************************************************
climate change summit in Copenhagen, Denmark telling the audience the
world has only seven years to get things straightened out. He arrived there
in a jet belonging to the Queen's fleet, a plane that generated an estimated
6.4 tons of carbon dioxide, 5.2 tons more than if he had used a commercial
flight.
Meanwhile (Prime Minister) Gordon Brown, who in October proclaimed that we
had only 50 days left to "save the world," chartered a 186-seat Airbus to take
him and 20 aides to Denmark. Mr. Brown had predicted floods and droughts
with evacuees and refugees if agreement was not reached in Copenhagen,
and he also said the looming "catastrophe" would be greater than the impact
of both World Wars and the Great Depression combined. But couldn't a
smaller plane have produced much less carbon dioxide? Couldn't he have
shared an aircraft with Prince Charles? Couldn't he have taken a scheduled
flight to the Danish capital, of which there were 16.
The Copenhagen summit, which was held in order to produce an agreement
limiting greenhouse gases, had, according to some experts, the same carbon
footprint as a medium-sized African country such as Malawi. Some 34,000
delegates attended. So many came in private jets that some had to park their
planes in Norway because of lack of space in Denmark. They then proceeded
to make use of gas-guzzling limousines from Germany.
Former U.S. Vice-President Al Gore quoted Dr. Wieslaw Maslowski, a
well-known climate change scientist, as saying there is a 75% chance the
entire north polar ice cap will be ice-free during summer months within five to
seven years. However, Dr. Maslowski immediately denied that he would ever
try to make a prediction like that.
The impression is that at least some of the zealous environmentalists, judging
from their actions, do not really believe things are as bad as they say.
However, uncritical journalists and politicians then pick up on some of their
more outrageous claims and thus affect public opinion. There are more
measured voices though, those who don't rule out the possibility of global
warming or mankind's effect on it, but who call for a less hysterical political
response to the threat.
Three decades ago the scientific and political consensus was that the world
was entering a period of global cooling. In 1972 some distinguished scientists
wrote to President Richard Nixon, expressing the fear the world was entering a
new Ice Age. If the science establishment was wrong then, could it be wrong
again now?
To read the entire opinion piece by Stephen Glover, click on this link to THE
DAILY MAIL.
COMMENT: I don't mean to pick on the environmentalists with this post, but I
think it is important to remind everyone of how pervasive the sin of hypocrisy
can be. It pops up everywhere. Police officers and judges found guilty of
serious crimes. Doctors and nurses living unhealthy lifestyles. Politicians
making campaign promises they have no intention of keeping. Animal-rights
activists who are pro-life when it comes to animals but not pro-life when it
comes to unborn humans.
And then there are us Christians. Televangelists becoming embroiled in
scandals and bringing disgrace upon the whole Christian church. Local
pastors found guilty of adultery or stealing from their congregations. Liberal
preachers who frequently don't believe what they tell their more conservative
congregations. Ministers who still call themselves Christians but who deny
some of the most important statements Jesus Christ ever made such as "I am
the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through
me." (John 14:6) The world doesn't always realize that even Christians are
sinners and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). The world holds
Christians to a higher standard than it does others, which is what I think it
should do.
If what Mr. Glover said about the delegates at the climate change summit is
true, I think they do owe everyone an apology and an explanation. On the
other hand, we all owe the Lord an apology for our acts of hypocrisy and all
our other sins. When we come clean before God, he is there offering full
forgiveness and the promise of eternal life in heaven. And we are comforted
to know there can never be even a hint of hypocrisy or deceit in what the Lord
has told us in His Word.
**************************************************************************************
Want to be automatically notified each time there is a new post? Just e-mail your
request to [admin@lutheranscience.org].
**************************************************************************************
QUESTION OF THE DAY
Does the switch to daylight savings time make some people ill?
**************************************************************************************
NOTE ON VISITOR COMMENTS: Visitor comments are invited including those
containing alternate views. However, comments containing profanity or
advertisements will not be published. After posting a comment, please allow
several hours for it to appear on the blog.
**************************************************************************************
1 Comment
pastor emile burgess said...Great comments Warren. Thanks for speaking
the truth in love.
pastor emile burgess said...Great comments Warren. Thanks for speaking
the truth in love.
| LSI stands for the Lutheran Science Institute, an organization of WELS and ELS Lutherans interested in science and health issues with a special emphasis on the creation and evolution controversy. This blog's purpose is to search the Internet to find articles of interest to Christians. Views expressed are those of the author (Warren Krug) and are not necessarily those of the Lutheran Science Institute, Inc. |
A survey found a 5% to 10% increase in heart
attacks in people following the time change in the
spring and a significant increase in heart attacks
on the Monday after the time switch in the fall. The
researchers theorized that the sleep disruptions
caused by changing the clock may increase the
activity of the sympathetic nervous system, which
speeds heart rate and increase the level of immune
cells called cytokines which can damage arteries.
Source: Bottom Line Personal (October 15, 2009)
attacks in people following the time change in the
spring and a significant increase in heart attacks
on the Monday after the time switch in the fall. The
researchers theorized that the sleep disruptions
caused by changing the clock may increase the
activity of the sympathetic nervous system, which
speeds heart rate and increase the level of immune
cells called cytokines which can damage arteries.
Source: Bottom Line Personal (October 15, 2009)