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Tuesday, February 4, 2014

California Drought, Poisoning Of Kentucky Water Supplies: Signs of Apocalypse?

The first angel blew his trumpet. Hail and fire, mixed with blood, came pouring down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees, and every blade of green grass.

Then the second angel blew his trumpet. Something that looked like a huge mountain on fire was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea was turned into blood, a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

Then the third angel blew his trumpet. A large star, burning like a torch, dropped from the sky and fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. (The name of the star is “Bitterness.”) A third of the water turned bitter, and many people died from drinking the water, because it had turned bitter.

Then the fourth angel blew his trumpet. A third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that their light lost a third of its brightness; there was no light during a third of the day and a third of the night also. 
- Revelation 8:7-12 (NIV)

In this Bible passage the ominous warning trumpets appear to accompany the environmental disasters described rather than triggering them. Could it be that human beings, commissioned to care for the earth, are the actual causes of these kinds of potential disasters?

It isn't hard to see a connection between the environmental exploitation by coal and chemical industries and the near disastrous consequences Kentucky residents are suffering. But is there also an apocalyptic link between our excessive use of oil and coal for power, accompanied by the release of volcanic tons of carbon into the atmosphere, that is contributing to the extreme drought much of California is experiencing?

We do know that an unprecedented warming of the Pacific Ocean is creating a large area of high pressure that is blocking Pacific storms from delivering their usual rain to the state. With only a fraction of the normal snow and rainfall California usually relies on for its crops and for human use, some reservoirs supplying water for major cities are already within months of being depleted, and farmers and ranchers are unable to produce the quantity of food many of us rely on.

Regardless of how we may feel about the causes and effects of this global warming, what is happening should be seen as trumpeting a global warning that we all need to heed.

Radical repentance should result in our reducing our levels of consumption and changing the ways we care for our precious planet.


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