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WEATHER
(Continued from page 6)
ways he has thus far refused to reg–
ulate.
A growi ng body of evidence
exis ts that our increasing use of
fuels like wood, coa! and oil, along
with other pollution makers like
the slas h-and-burn agricultural
techniques popular in tropical
areas, poses grave consequences for
the future.
Unless that course is al tered, we
will see a tremendous buildup of
carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
This will trap heat and cause the
earth's average temperatures to
rise. The result is a so-called green–
house etfect.
In an art icle in
Science
magazine
dated August 28, 1981 , NASA's
l nstitute for Space Studies in New
York City noted that carbon diox–
ide levels in the air across America
on average were 293 parts per mil–
lion (ppm), with a 1
O
ppm margin
of error, in 1880. In 1980, the level
was 335 ppm.
This report points out that if the
present level of fue! use grows
slowly, average temperatures in the
U.S. could increase about 5 degrees
Fahrenheit (2.5°C) by the end of
the 21st century. However, a more
rapid development of fue! use could
raise temperatures by as muchas 8
degrees Fahrenheit (4.5°C).
Any rise in average temperature
will begin a melting of the polar ice
caps, Aooding Jarge areas of the
world's coastlands.
1n the decade of the '70s alone,
occan Jevels rose 4 inches from this
etfect.
Man is, in add ition , rapidly
destroying the earth's natural car–
bon dioxide converter: the forests.
Sorne figures put the rate of defor–
estation at 120 acres every single
minute of every single day. That
amounts to more than 63 million
acres a year. Deforestation also
affects the water table, rainfall, as
well as soi l erosion.
What Are the Consequences?
Gone are the days when a people
simply migrated away from a
drought or famine. With fixed bor–
ders and a burgeoning world popu–
lation, little new land is available.
42
Today the world is dependent on
primarily the United States, Cana–
da, Australia, Argentina and parts
of Western Europe to supply the
su rplus foodstuffs to meet the
shortfalls elsewhere in the world. A
bad year or two of weather for
these nations would have a disas–
trous impact on the rest of the
world.
In addition, we have narrowed
the number of plant species on
which we dc:rpend for food to less
than 30. In fact, five crops- pota–
toes, rice, wheat, maize (corn) and
barley-comprise more than 60
percent of the world's food crops.
By narrowing our variety we have
also increased our vulnerability to
climatic change.
What ls the Source of
Our Weather?
What's it going to be? Are we
going to be shoveling snow and ice,
or will we be Aeeing the coast lines
to avoid the onrushing oceans? A
simple answer to this question is
given by David Arthur Davies, one
of the leading meteorologists in the
United Kingdom, and the former
Secretary General of the World
Meteorological Organization in
Geneva, Switzerland. Concerning
the reliability of long-range weath–
er prediction, Dr. Davies states,
"Frankly, we do not know the
extent to which we can predict cli–
matic change or climat ic variabi li–
ty."
While scientists may not be able
to accurately predict weather in the
long term, almost all of their theo–
ries point to bad times ahead. Still
they
can
only view the physical evi–
dence and that tells only part of tbe
story. There is, however, a source
we can turn to for the other half of
the picture. That source is God 's
revealed word: the Bible.
God says
he
controls the weath–
er. " He causes his sun to rise on the
evil and the good, and sends rain on
the righteous and the unrighteous"
(Matt. 5:45, N IV).
God sends the snow and ice as
well as drought and heat. He bathes
the earth with gentle rain to show
his !ove, yet also sends Aoods and
mildew to punish (J ob 37; Deut.
28:22, last part).
Apart from normal patterns that
he set in motion, God also allows
mankind to reap the consequences
of physical sins: pollution, abuse of
the environment or attempts to
manipulate the weather. God also
uses the weather to punish for
spir–
itual
sins.
Indeed, if we read Deuteronomy
28, we see that God 's blessings on
obedience includes good weather
(verses 1- 14) and his punishing of
sin includes weather catastrophes
(verses 15-24).
Centuries ago, one of God's
prophets, Elijah, prayed and God
withheld rain from a rebellious and
sinful nation to warn the people to
turn from their false gods
(J
Kings
17- 18). But that was the ancient
House of Israel, r ight?
lf
that occurred in the time of
ancient Israel, what is going to be
the effect on a world filled with
sin?- which is the transgression of
the law ( 1 John 3:4).
The cause of our upset weather
conditions involves sin: physical
and spiritual, whether we like to
think so or not. The nations are
about to be punished for their cor–
ruption and immorality. We are
beginning to reap the rewards for
living the "get" way of life.
The Near Future
Today's upset weather conditions
will soon paJe into insignificance,
unless mankind alters the present
course. In the foreseeable future,
our weather is going to be turned
upside down (see Revelation 6:5-8;
8:4-12). The powerful forces of
nature are going to be unleashed
upon a d isobedient , nuclear-armed
world to bring it to its knees in
repentance.
Wise king Solomon understood
the r ela ti ons hip between the
transgression of moral law (de–
fined in the Bible as "sin") and
bad weather. When he dedicated
the Temple of God, Solomon
prayed:
"When the heavens are shut up
and there is no rain because your
people have
sinned
[
emphasis ours]
against you, and when they pray
toward this place and confess your
name a nd turn from their sin
because you have affl icted them,
then hear from heaven and forgive
the sin of ... your people Israel.
T each them the right way to live,
and send rain on the land you gave
The PLAIN TRUTH