![]() ![]() As the sun warms the Earth’s surface, infrared radiation is emitted from the warm surfaces, whether land or sea, and would escape and leave us cold. Without some greenhouse effect, our planet would not be warm enough for us. Tyson explains the basic physics of the greenhouse effect. ![]() Greenhouse EffectĪs with most Cosmos episodes, observable scientific information is placed alongside worldview-dependent interpretations. At present, the case for man being the cause of global warming is very weak, and it is far from certain that the global temperature will continue its slow rise. Before I would want to propose that the world take such a drastic step, I would want to make sure that I was right about the scientific issues. It seems to me that forcing all people on the Earth (if you could) to use more expensive sources of energy would lower the standard of living of everyone. I believe the consequences would be enormous and the resulting change in global temperature would be insignificant. He implies that there are no consequences to the changes that he is suggesting and that the results are certain. Tyson seems to be implying at the end of the program that all we have to do as a worldwide community is to accept the “truth” of man-caused global warming and stop burning fossil fuels. Alan White, 2 who holds a PhD in organic chemistry from Harvard University, has authored 18 peer-reviewed scientific papers, and travels internationally lecturing on both the biblical and scientific aspects of climate change and global warming, says,ĭr. And those “facts” are neither as easy to come by nor as clear to interpret as Dr. Therefore, if the problem is not perilous, man-made, or man-fixable, a worldwide civilization overhaul is neither necessary nor advisable. The repercussions of drastic action would hurt a lot of people, especially the poorer among us. At the end of the program, he offers “a breathtaking vision of the magnificent future that is scientifically and technically within our grasp, if we will only awaken and seize it.” 1 Concerned, conscientious people might then ask, “Why take a chance? If there is even a possibility we are hurting our planet, shouldn’t we change our way of life just in case?” The answer is “no.” Tyson paints a dire picture of our future, parading the planet Venus as the poster-child for a runaway greenhouse effect. While there is good evidence that the overall temperature worldwide has risen slightly over the past four centuries, is that a catastrophic trend? And is human burning of fossil fuels the cause? Could Cosmos host Tyson be wrong in his emphatic declarations that the carbon dioxide produced by humans is the cause of rising temperatures and will propel us toward destruction?ĭr. Truth and ConsequencesĪs Bible-believing Christians we know that we are responsible to be good stewards of the Earth God created, protecting both planet and people from preventable destruction. If we as a world fail to act soon, Cosmos host Neil deGrasse Tyson warns, we will tip ourselves beyond the point of no return and destroy life as we know it. See Cosmos: A SpaceTime Odyssey for reviews of other episodes and discussion guides for further study.Ĭosmos: A SpaceTime Odyssey episode 12, “World Set Free,” is entirely devoted to convincing viewers that dangerous man-made global warming threatens to destroy our planet. ![]()
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