20190401 – Saving the Planet – Are They Kidding? By Peter Schwartzkoppf

The conviction and passion of tree-huggers is undeniable. They have converted a whole stack of people over to their ideology. Being green is much easier than it used to be. The world now numbers many adherents to the Greenie religion.

They are busily trying to encourage their adherents and devotees to “save the planet”. An annual event is Earth Day which one blogger describes as “a wonderful opportunity for millions of people around the world to take action to help save our delicate planet”

In the same on-line article, the authors make 25 suggestions as to how these individuals can save the planet. Here are some examples:

With regards to the last point they even we recommend certain brands of cleaner; ECover, Seventh Generation, Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day , BEE and method;

Now let’s face the truth – the reality – these efforts are going to be futile. Earth Hour which is part of Earth day will reduce the earth’s energy consumption by a mere 0.005%. It’s not going to make a difference. Some will argue that all they are doing is “raising awareness” Knowing about a problem doesn’t solve it. Everyone was aware the Titanic was going down but that awareness didn’t save the ship nor many of its passengers.

In the area of climate change whether you are a believer or a sceptic there are certain hard facts. The population of the earth is growing. Take Australia for instance. Its current population is 25 million. By 2050 it will be 40 -45 million. Currently the Federal Government wants to reduce “carbon” emissions by 5% by 2020. If they achieve that it will at best reduce the atmospheric temperature by 0.01oC. In other words, it won’t achieve anything really measurable. There are plans afoot for a reduction on today’s “carbon” emissions output of 50%.Now since the population is set to increase by about 80% this means each individual will have to reduce their carbon footprint by about 70%. In other words, they want Australians to cut back 7/10 of their current consumption. That won’t happen. Even if it did the economy would be sent back to the “stone age’. A different catastrophe would result.

At the close of 2009, there were about 33 wind farms in Australia, most of which had turbines of from 1.5 to 3 megawatts (MW). The total operating wind generating capacity at the end of 2009 was 1877 MW providing 1.3% of Australia’s national electricity demand. One of those wind farms – Wattle Point Wind Farm – a wind farm near Edithburgh on the coast of South Australia, has been operating since April 2005. When it was officially opened in June of that year it was Australia’s largest wind farm at 91 megawatts. The installation consists of 55 wind turbines covering 17.5 square kilometres. So then, about 1600 giant turbines supply at best 1.3% of the nation’s energy. Using this wind farm as a basis Australia would need about 123,000 giant turbines to supply its energy. They would have to cover about 1300 square kilometres. They wouldcost about $450 billion dollars to build. This would be far too expensive. Despite its huge cost wind power is also very unreliable. It is no real solution to Australia’s energy problems.

What has to be faced up to is reality. These suggestions to save the planet are a naïve tokenism that makes people feel that they are doing something when there is in fact nothing they can do.

The last few years have given the world a few lectures in Reality 101. First, we had the Pakistani floods, then the fires in Russia, the Queensland Floods, the big blizzards in Europe and America, the floods in Brazil, the Cyclones in America, the flooding in Victoria, the drought in NSW and Queensland, the earthquakesin Christchurch, Bali, and the earthquake and tsunamis in Sumatra, Japan, and Sulawesi, and then Java. There is nothing man can do to stop the forces of nature. It is somewhat foolishly arrogant to think otherwise.

It is a weakness that men tend to have. They think their “intelligence” and “cleverness” can solve all problems. They don’t consider that there are such things as insoluble problems. Mankind believes that it can get out of its current predicament with statements and cute little things like separating garbage into recyclable and non- recyclable. Someone has to be kind and break the bad new to these devoted believers. In my own household there are individuals who believe in saving the planet and they go to extraordinary sorting efforts with their rubbish. They haven’t noticed that the person who feels it is a waste of time produces at least one-tenth the amount of rubbish they do. Oh! The irony of it all. And they determinedly ignore that they are doing the proverbial into the wind.

Even in the field of regular religion man and women think they can save themselves. The world of religion is littered with man made religions and quasi religions; Islam, Sikhism, Bahai, Buddhism, Hinduism, Shinto, and Confucianism. They are characterised by a belief that human actions can save. These religions are centred on fasts, rituals, dress codes, and restrictions, and the doing of “good deeds”. However, the religion introduced by God [true Christianity] asks men and women to believe that only God can save. He asks them to believe in his plan for salvation and to accept that plan graciously.

There is one event in a person’s life which shouts at them: “You cannot save yourself”. That event is death. Whatever we, as ordinary humans choose to do, we won’t escape that event. No wonder then that the Bible therefore presents a hope of salvation that centres on the bodily resurrection of the dead. God provides real solutions – not warm fuzzies.

If we want to save ourselves, we need to accept the salvation in Christ.

The world is about to witness the return of the Lord. Surrounding that return will be worldwide political upheavals, the invasion of the Middle East by Russia and its allies, the defeat of Israel and Egypt, world wide wars, and the establishment of God’s Kingdom on earth. The world of today will be purged of its corruption and a new world order will emerge centred on worship of the God of Israel.

The physical world will be restored by Christ. Saving hundreds of cans of food in the pantry will not save you from the trouble that is coming but seeking the Lord will –while there is yet time. Building a nuclear bomb shelter won’t save you. Tree–hugging, though commendable at one level ( I do love trees), does not deal with the reality that confronts us all.

So, I say “relax”. The Lord Jesus will come and he will save his people. He will save nations, and he will save the environment. God can save. You cannot save anything – even if you are very sincere or very clever. The problems are beyond your power. Face up to that reality.

In the age to come, when Israel has been saved from extinction by God a new song will be sung in the land of Judah (Isaiah 26:1) Some extremely poignant lyrics in that song is their confession “We have not brought salvation to the earth.” [Isaiah 26: 18] The Jews in that day will come to that truth when they meet their Messiah — Jesus Christ.

The words just quoted go much further. They say, “We have not brought salvation to the earth, and the people of the world have not come to life. But your dead will live, Lord; their bodies will rise— let those who dwell in the dust     wake up and shout for joy— your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead.”

All those Christian believers who are accepted by God then will understand the same truth. They will say” ‘In the LORD alone are righteousness and strength.’ “[Isaiah 45:22]

No one can save themselves; let alone planet Earth. Reality is such a cruel tyrant. It smashes to pieces naïve and romantic human dreams and plans.

The Empty Tomb is a symbol of real salvation.