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 PrintableVersion Climate change apocalypseWonky weather manCLIMATE CHANGE APOCALYPSE This is an attempt to persuade Christians and non-Christians alike to change their behaviour. The book spells out how the earth is warming up and how humans are largely responsible. If we continue polluting, we can expect more global warming. McGinnigle outlines some possible consequences, from more extreme weather (such as droughts) to changes in ocean circulation. Since it is making energy that produces pollution, the author reviews how we produce and consume energy. So far so good. There are no illustrations. It isn’t scintillating prose or particularly insightful, but it gives the basics to anyone new to the subject. What is unexpected is the way McGinnigle jumps around. For example, explaining about carbon dioxide sparks an excursion into the wonder of trees and the story of the Tree of Life in Eden, before jumping back to the greenhouse effect. Some might find this style engaging, others incoherent. At times it is bizarre: Sodom’s end is cited as a possible example of global warming (p.44). However, the real problem is the pervasive liberal theology: the expulsion from Eden was ‘harsh retribution’ (p.35); until relatively recently, the first four commandments ‘were largely obeyed throughout the Christian World’ (p.20). At root, there is little notion of sin. Instead there is a naive optimism about human nature: McGinnigle thinks there is ‘a constant pressure within each person to be kind, compassionate, loving, generous, and helpful’ (p.201). No wonder he has no practical proposals — we just need to persuade people to be nice! For a more realistic view of human nature and its implications, try Mike Hulme’s Why we disagree about climate change (Cambridge University Press). McGinnigle is appealing to people to act. Supposedly he is drawing on the Bible to make that appeal, but what he presents is the liberal gospel that we can make a better world if only we learn to live together. This travesty of the gospel makes the book wholly unsuited for its intended audience. Dr. Tim Mitchell, © Evangelicals Now - January 2011 |
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