The most topical issue today is the call for all people and nations to take urgent and sacrificial action to arrest catastrophic climate change forecasts. Global climate change reports regularly claim the world is warming at dangerously levels and that CO2 emissions need to be slashed. School curricula are consequently being re-written around concepts of 'environmental consciousness'. The United Nations has developed 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which every government and NGO is expected to measure and meet by 2030. Similarly, the World Economic Forum has developed Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) metrics for its corporate stakeholders to achieve. All this change is deemed necessary to change the weather and save humanity - acts that are reserved for gods.

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The church's response has largely taken one of either two directions. Either it has added climate action into its plethora of social justice issues, or it has stayed silent in order to not distract from evangelism. However, climate change is increasingly becoming religious in its language and adherence demands.  So both responses of the church contain dangers. God is our intelligent designer. He is the author of science and the Creator of the world - both of visible and invisible things. One of the benefits of being His favoured creature, is that humans have the wonder of exploring how He formed and continues to sustain the world each day.

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For in [Jesus] all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

Colossians1:16-17

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Through biology, chemistry, geology, meteorology and other sciences, our observation and understanding of how systems fit together continues to grow. This is why the process of understanding these systems is called the 'scientific process'. Our understanding of our changing climate continues to grow too. Yet, the prevailing narrative is that climate science is settled and questioning the efficacy of a proposed action is to deny science. Thomas Khan, author of The Structure of Scientific Revolutions warns of confusing scientists proclamations with science. History is full of examples of scientific groupthink. To ‘settle science’ without acknowledging the Creator of science, is to set oneself up as god - knowing all things for all time.

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Our fear-based media narrative says that climate change is an existential threat based on long-term forecasts published in global reports. To be clear, the climate does change and humans do have an impact - and the degree of that impact can rightly be debated. But climate catastrophizing does not align with either history, the facts, nor message of the Bible. God instructed Adam and Eve to have dominion over creation and to be fruitful and multiply. He also gave humanity the ongoing task to both utilize and keep creation.

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God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.

Genesis 1:28

And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

Genesis 2:15

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God's command to tend creation and to make it flourish is still in effect for us today. Sustainable and smart environmental management methods such as the Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) program are examples of good stewardship. These initiatives can improve the livelihoods of many local communities. But within the green movement, there are also anti-human calls to worship the earth and reduce the human population. Such calls are in contrast to Scripture.

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Limiting pollution is a good thing to do. However, we do not need to fear that failing to reduce CO2 emission by a certain percentage by a certain day will destroy the world. God does not assign a cosmic karma score to coal, but He does see sin piling high towards heaven - Revelation 18:5. While God will judge the world one day, He promises that the earth will continue to have seasons and will keep providing food until then.

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“As long as the earth remains, there will be planting and harvest,

cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night.”

Genesis 8:22

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Therefore, we do not need to live in fear that cyclical changes in temperature or rainfall will destroy the world. Remember, forecasts are not observable or repeatable scientific events that result in tangible evidence.  Rather they are ‘models’ based on theories, premises and presuppositions on what may occur.  Meteorology still cannot accurately predict the weather 10 days out. Why are we confident that they know the average global temperature in 50 years from now? 

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Some of those predictions may be right. They may also be wrong or partially wrong, but they are the predictions of fallible men.  (e.g In 2005, Tim Flannery predicted that Warragamba Dam would never be full again. 2022 was Australia's wettest season on record). Recently, Greta Thunburg deleted her climate alarmist tweet, now that her predicted doom date has come and gone. Christians must not lose hope by following modern false prophets.