Climate Change - Whose Fault is it, Anyway?

Paradise lost - Scene a few days ago in the Northern California town of Paradise

I cannot believe my eyes. For the past few days I have been watching with horror what seems to be the entire state of California going up in flames. It is almost as if I am witnessing Hell on earth.

I do not believe this can be understated. Entire cities have been consumed! Malibu, one of the most famous neighborhoods in the world has been evacuated. Celebrities have lost their homes. I do not recall anything like it. 

Yes, California has had major fires before. Many times. But nothing like this. It is shocking - to say the least.

I believe that climate change has been driving it. Just like it has in other catastrophic events across the globe. Like the devastating hurricanes and floods around the world that seem to increase with intensity each year.

I do not believe there can be any doubt about it. All one has to do is track the yearly increase in the melting of glaciers in the arctic regions of the world. It is impossible not to deduce that the world is heating up. And that has resulted in catastrophes.

It is climate change that fuels hurricanes making them more powerful and damaging. It increases flooding and dries up forests making them easily kindling. Strong winds are causing those fires in California to spread rapidly. Winds that very likely are due to climate change.

I do not think any of this is arguable.

The question is why? Why is the climate changing? Why is the world’s climate getting warmer? The answer to this is not so simple. Many scientists say that mankind is responsible for it. That carbon emissions have a greenhouse effect that warms up the planet. Chlorofluorocarbons causes holes or depletion in the ozone layer that surrounds the earth and prevents the sun from penetrating it more. 

Holes in the ozone layer are also believed to be one cause in the increase of skin cancer because the ultraviolet rays of the sun become more intense.

Carbon emissions are caused by a variety of factors including the use of fossil fuels. The world has been increasing the use of fossil fuels as the energy demands have increased due to the increased number of cars and because of advances in technology that require increased use of energy. 

I have no doubt that humans contribute to climate change. But are we the primary culprit? I am not so sure. There are a variety of ways in which carbon is emitted into the atmosphere and pierces the ozone layer. Not all of them are based on human activity. Large volcanic eruptions for example have been shown to have a substantial impact on the ozone layers. I have not heard much talk about natural phenomena as a contributing cause. All I ever hear is about the human cause. As if there were no other factors.

This is not to say that mankind is not responsible at all. It is only to say that it is unclear to me just how much of it is man made and how much is the direct result of nature - over which man has little control. And whether what we do will have a significant impact in light of what natural phenomena might contribute.

This is also not to say that we shouldn’t try to do what we can to reduce carbon emissions. Of course we should. It is to say that man is not alone in the world. There is a God who controls everything.

It is by bearing this in mind that I have problems with those scientists that predict that climate change will result in end of the world if we don’t do something drastic. And suggest only solutions that can be done by the hand of man. That God has nothing to do with it. If mankind doesn’t act, mankind will destroy itself. I hear that all the time! 

This is where I part company with much of those who blame climate change only on man. 

The world will not end. We believe that the world will survive into a future that will herald in Moshiach.  That is a fundamental Jewish belief. Yes we should conserve energy and reduce carbon emissions as much as we can. Hopefully that will mitigate climate change. But it will not solve the problem of nature’s contribution. 

This is where God comes in. At the end of the day it is a partnership. We have to do our part. That is called Hishtadlus. How far we have to go is a matter of debate. The one thing I would oppose is the kind of change that will drastically alter our lives - while contributing little to lessening our carbon footprint. At the end of the day it is all in God’s hands. God have mercy on us all.