Chapter 3

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#669999" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="6" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>Cherishing the  Earth</B><B>    </B></FONT><B> |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Cherishing the Earth"><U><B>home</B></U></A><B>          </B></div> <div> by Martin J Hodson and Margot R Hodson<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   </B></FONT></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=175 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="052afc00egerdp.jpg"> <bR> <div> <A HREF="synopsis.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Book synopsis"><U><B>Book synopsis</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="aboutus.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About us"><U><B>About us</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="biblestudies.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Bible studies"><U><B>Bible studies</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="commendations.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Commendations"><U><B>Commendations</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="upcoming.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Upcoming Events"><U><B>Upcoming Events</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="reviews.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Reviews"><U><B>Reviews</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="howtobuy.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="How to buy"><U><B>How to buy</B></U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>Chapter 3</I></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="05e93e50.jpg" border=0 width="147" height="229" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="10"></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Chapter 3- Pushing the planet into free fall</B></div> <bR> <div> This chapter introduces the major problems of environmental degradation. We look at regional and global pollution concentrating on acid rain and climate change. We respond with a biblical understanding of the problem looking at the fall in Genesis 3 and the impact of our disobedience to God in Hosea.</div> <div> <A HREF="chapter2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chapter 2"><U>Back to Chapter 2</U></A>                <A HREF="chapter4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chapter 4"><U>Forward to Chapter 4</U></A></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> ________________________________________________________________________</div> <bR> <div> <B>UPDATE 1</B></div> <bR> <div> We covered the topic of acid rain in this chapter, and reported on the excellent progress that countries in Europe and North America had made in cutting back emissions of sulphur dioxide. The biggest problem remaining for acid rain appeared to be China. However, it appears that the Chinese are now also making progress in this area, reporting a decrease of 4.66% in sulphur dioxide emissions in the last year. Unfortunately some other pollution problems are getting worse in China. See <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/06/world/asia/06pollute.html?_r=3&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&oref=slogin&oref=slogin&oref=slogin" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/06/world/"><U>China Reports Declines in 3 Major Pollutants, Reversing Trend</U></A></FONT> </div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> ________________________________________________________________________</div> <bR> <div> <B>UPDATE 2</B></div> <bR> <div> In Chapter 3 we briefly dealt with the topic of climate scepticism. We mentioned that some have claimed that much of the confusion over climate change has been brought about by the activities of organisations funded by large petrochemical companies. In this respect this article from the Guardian (28 May 2008) is interesting: <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/may/28/climatechange.fossilfuels?gusrc=rss&feed=networkfront" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/20"><U>Exxon to cut funding to climate change denial groups</U></A></FONT></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> ________________________________________________________________________</div> <div> <B>UPDATE 3</B></div> <bR> <div> One of the key graphs put forward as evidence of human-induced climate change is the famous "Hockeystick Graph". In this graph Northern Hemisphere temperatures were shown to be fairly constant for 1,000 years (the "shaft" of the stick) and then turned sharply upwards after the Industrial Revolution. The graph has been widely criticised but more recent research has confirmed its validity. See <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7592575.stm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7592"><U>Climate 'hockey stick' is revived</U></A></FONT> (BBC- 1 Sept. 2008)</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> ________________________________________________________________________</div> <bR> <div> <B>Web Links to Resources used in this Chapter</B></div> <bR> <div> For details on the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution see: <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.unece.org/env/lrtap/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.unece.org/env/lrtap/"><U>www.unece.org/env/lrtap/</U></A></FONT></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="0b393c40.jpg" border=0 width="147" height="196" ALT="Prunerov Power Station, Czech Republic" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="10">World Meteorological Organization: <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.wmo.ch" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.wmo.ch"><U>www.wmo.ch</U></A></FONT></div> <bR> <div> The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) publishes many reports on the topic, and they are available at <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.ipcc.ch" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.ipcc.ch"><U>www.ipcc.ch</U></A></FONT></div> <bR> <div> For details of Hurricane Katrina see <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_K"><U>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina</U></A></FONT> .</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >An inconvenient truth: The planetary emergency of global warming and what we can do about it. The web site of the film is at: </FONT><A HREF="http://www.climatecrisis.net" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.climatecrisis.net"><U>www.climatecrisis.net</U></A><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > For details of the controversy surrounding the film see</FONT> <A HREF="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cherishing-Earth-Environmental-Christian-Message/dp/1854248413/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1199374634&sr=8-1" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cherishing-Earth"><U>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_Inconvenient_Truth</U></A> </div> <bR> <div> The Royal Society (2007) Climate Change Controversies. A Simple Guide. This is available at: <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.royalsoc.ac.uk/page.asp?id=6229" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.royalsoc.ac.uk/page.asp?id=62"><U>www.royalsoc.ac.uk/page.asp?id=6229</U></A></FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>