Global climate change(GCC) is a buzz word around St. Olaf's campus. It is hard to have a conversation about politics without getting into the topic. Yet, I am always astounded at the lack of unified data on the subject. Faculty and students like to say that the "trends" are undeniable, but I wonder what in fact are the trends?
It seems that every week there is data that proves or disproves the existence of GCC, and the effects of greenhouse gases. I just wish there was a consensus.
I was just reading an article in the American Thinker about the distinct possibility that the Earth maybe entering a mini-ice age. While worrying, it seems to be another in the long line of dire predictions soon to be proven false.
However there is a compelling argument for the green and sustainability movements that the Wendell Berry House is apart of: beauty. If we all try to live lives in which we reduce our impact on the world, leaving a smaller "footprint", the worst that can happen is we improve the beauty of the Earth. The best that can happen is we curb global warming and stall the apocalyptic vision some environmentalists foresee. In both cases we win.
Regardless of what the data shows we as a people should be called to better our society and planet. Furthering sustainability is one very important part of that.
1 comment:
How you've closed this is fairly significant and perhaps a conversation worthy of a post itself. Frequently the conflicting evidence for and against global warming (and many other topics for that matter) leads to apathy because we don't know who to trust and what is accurate. A lot of times I hear people sayin' that it doesn't matter and that we don't know for certain if this is or isn't some natural cycle that the planet might just go through. Perhaps we have no effect on the climate. But we might as well play it safe and do our best to prepare for the worst if we are the cause of this climate change.
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