Hail And Fire--We May Someday Look Back To This Summer As One Of Our Milder Ones

A hotter, drier climate is a major contributor to extreme weather conditions and out-of-control wildfires around the world.

When the first angel blew his trumpet, hail and fire mixed with blood were thrown down on the earth. A third of the earth, a third of the trees, and a third of all green plants were burned.

When the second angel blew his trumpet, something like a great fiery mountain was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned to blood, a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

When the third angel blew his trumpet, a great star fell from heaven. It was burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on a third of the springs of water. The name of the star was Bitter, and a third of the water turned bitter. Many people died because the water was so bitter.

When the fourth angel blew his trumpet, a third of the sun, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars were struck. They each lost a third of their light. So during a third of the day there was no light, and a third of the night was also without light. 

Revelation 8:7-12 (CEV)

Whether we take these words as a literal prediction of the earth's fate or as simply among many Biblical warnings of apocalyptic disasters, we are seeing records broken for summer heat around the globe. According to data provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the 2022 surface temperature of the earth was 1.55 °F warmer than the 20th-century average, with the past decade being the warmest in recorded history. 

Weather variations are normal, of course, but current long-range climate trends are ominous, resulting in catastrophic fires and severe droughts that are putting billions of lives at risk. Ocean temperatures, which require an enormous amount of thermal energy to affect, are in some areas exceeding 100 degrees for the first time ever, threatening marine life and adding to the likelihood of ever more destructive tropical storms.

In Jennifer Szalal's review of Jeff Goodell's bestseller,  The Heat Will Kill You First: Life and Death on a Scorched Planet: she writes, ”Goodell’s stripped-down style suits his subject. This is a propulsive book, one to be raced through; the planet is burning, and we are running out of time. Death is a common refrain, and it doesn’t apply only to humans. ‘When it gets too hot, things die,’ an agricultural ecologist tells Goodell.” Or, as Goodell writes of creatures that adapt by moving to cooler places: “If they can’t find refuge, they die. A hotter world puts the most vulnerable at risk — the old, the sick, the poor.”

According to John P Abraham, professor of thermal sciences at the University of St Thomas School of Engineering, we will all face life altering changes in a warming climate. “Working outdoors in the heat will require shorter shifts with more breaks, and more overnight work.” Meanwhile, night-time heat is increasing faster than daytime ones, according to Abraham, who adds, “If workers are in daytime heat at work but night temperatures are sufficiently hot that their body cannot cool, they will have a much harder time the next day.” 

We do well to heed warnings like these, each calling for serious repentance of our self indulgent ways, and for radical changes in the way we care for the planet. According to the Revelation text, the trumpet warnings follow the opening of the last of seven seals, suggesting that God is permitting, rather than causing, what is happening to the planet. So to the extent that we humans are contributing to the problem, might there still be hope, as in the case of the Biblical story of Nineveh, that God may withhold judgment if we do an about face and work at righting our wrongs?

Certainly ignoring the problem and simply turning up our air conditioners will only make things worse.

As someone has observed, "Good planets are hard to find." Certainly ours is a rare jewel worth making every effort to preserve. Not only has our Creator made humans responsible for the stewardship of the earth,  to “cultivate and care for it,” we are also urged to practice good creation care by reputable organizations like the Audubon Society, National Geographic Society, American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Chemical Society, American Medical Association, American Geophysical Union, American Meteorological Society, American Physical Society, Geological Society of America, Union of Concerned Scientists, United Nations IPCC, NOAA, U.S. National Academy of Sciences, NASA, EPA, American Geophysical Union, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Royal Society of the United Kingdom, Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society, Science Council of Japan, Russian Academy of Science, Brazilian Academy of Sciences, Royal Society of Canada, Chinese Academy of Sciences, French Academy of Sciences, German Academy of Natural Scientists, Indian National Science Academy, Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei (Italy), Australian Academy of Sciences, Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Sciences and the Arts, Caribbean Academy of Sciences, Academy of Sciences Malaysia, Academy Council of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, etc., etc.

We can act in ways that will cause our children and grandchildren to be forever grateful.

Or not.