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or Paperback
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Links to books and other items on this page and elsewhere on Greg Ladens' blog may send you to Amazon, where I am a registered affiliate. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, which helps to fund this site.
Can you say distraction? We are led to believe that the increase in violent storms is the result of someone who is using aerosol deoderant. Not that we shouldn’t take care of our environment, but could it be that the increase in natural disasters is the result of the approaching wrath of a righteous God? Maybe instead of running down the guy using the aerosol deoderant, we should be repenting.
http://downtownministries.blogspot.com/2014/06/deceived.html
Yes, Dave, to answer your coy little rhetorical question, it could be the result of the approaching wrath of a deity but there’s no evidence that it is. On the other hand, there is an overwhelming amount of evidence that it is the result of human activities increasing the level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. But yes, repenting (and changing our ways) sounds like a good idea.
…could it be that the increase in natural disasters is the result of the approaching wrath of a righteous God?
I feel confident in saying “No”. Here’s why: we understand the mechanisms and physics around climate change pretty well. We don’t understand God’s mechanisms, because they’re supernatural, so by definition there’s no explanation for them. But that’s ok, because we have little or no evidence that God regularly interferes in human affairs anyway. Think about it – the last time God did anything that produced a book or any tangible result was when he visited Mohammed (peace be on him). That was around 1400 years ago. What’s he done since?
Meanwhile, you’re set up at your virtuous downtown ministries, helping people with real needs live a better life, right? Why are you wasting time with this nonsense? Have you run out of people to help? Did someone donate that computer for Downtown Ministries so you could waste time on the internet trolling ScienceBlogs.com?
Greg,
CO2 from volcanoes is nothing. CO2 from biomass is something.
As much biomass is grown each year, about as much biomass decays to CO2 each year.
The total bio-carbon cycle is very many giga-tonnes.
Human contribution to the globall carbon cycle is less than one percent.
Jim, Biomass decay is part of the normal balanced carbon cycle. Releasing C from it’s fossil tomb is not. So, depending on what you are trying to say here you may be barking up the wrong tree.
God is angry because people have used up all his deodorant, and he was going out to the disco tonight.
We have reasonable estimates of the increase in atmospheric CO2, how much vulcanism there has been, and how much CO2 is being emitted by human activity. CO2 from vulcanism doesn’t come close to being sufficient to provide for the increase in atmospheric CO2. And don’t forget, some of the increase in CO2 is going toward ocean acidification.
With regard to the amount of CO2 emitted by human activity: relative to other sources, perhaps the amount emitted by human activity is not as large–but whereas the other sources have been balanced for a long time, the amount emitted by humans has increased dramatically.