God Please Save Your Planet...from us.

Chapter Sixteen- Seasons of Change

The late Steven Hawking said: "Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change." If this is true, then insight is the ability to anticipate change. Financial forecasters try to excel at this. Finally, one might say that wisdom is the ability to anticipate, and then adapt before the change even occurs. For a good portion of my life, I struggled with all three of these concepts, largely in part, because of my utter distain for change. Like many men, I do not like change. I am most comfortable in my natural habitat of unchanging permanence. Despite this, change has been my constant unwanted companion. But enough about me.

There is an old saying that goes something like this: "The more things change, the more they stay the same." Never is this statement more true than in the case of the annual seasons. Winter, Spring, Summer, and Autumn, or as some regions call it: Winter, Spring, Winter, Summer, Spring, Autumn, warmer than normal, Winter again, and hay fever. The farmers Almanac has become like a horoscope, but somehow manages to embarrass the meteorologists on a regular basis.

In her book: "The Climate Book", Greta Thunberg draws her reader's attention to a new concept. Rather than global warming, she calls it "global weirding". This highlights the unpredictable weather patterns that are beginning to become more common.

There are larger cycles that may explain gradual shifts in weather, but look at the plant life, often blooming at unexpected times. Even the plants are showing signs of uncertainty. If our silent plant neighbors are showing signs of confusion, what hope is there for the rest of us? Seasons in certain temperate zones seem elongated. The first day of a season often seems like a holiday date on a calendar, but it's as if, the season didn't get the reminder on their internal calendar.

Many who don't notice these patterns (or lack there of), may say this is normal, but even some of the most ardent climate change deniers are starting to pause ever so slightly, in hopes that a colder winter might save their campaign for political office. After all, an unusually cold Winter can't be an indicator of global warming. If only, it were that simple.

Are humans directly responsible for climate change? That remains debatable to some in positions of influence, but one thing is certain. The sands are shifting beneath our feet in one way or another.

The future may seem bright for some, and bleak for others. It really depends on who you ask. Pessimist, optimist, or realist. It doesn't matter. The glass ain't full. Maybe it never was. In the Bible it says: 'Summer and Winter will never cease.' I'm not sure why Spring and Autumn are not mentioned.

In the previous chapter we discussed the displacement of humans due to climate change. While humans may adapt to changing weather patterns, animals and plants are not always so resilient. Insects and viruses seem to thrive in the chaos though.

Entire ecosystems are similar to the supply chain in the commercial world. It's all about anticipating supply before demand reaches a tipping point. The global supply chain was put under tremendous stress during the Covid-19 shutdown of 2020. Ecosystems are much more fragile. Nature has a certain timing for pollinators, and blooming flowers. We may not notice these subtle changes, but misalignment of processes in nature can have devastating effects on a system we still don't fully appreciate.

Some conservation conscious humans are starting to change their behavior towards these natural champions of ecology. Insecticides have been devastating the insects that actually help our vitamin depleted, ground to produce a food supply that thrives. Hopefully, we have learned from our mistakes in time for the bees (not just honey bees) to return. If you hold a Christian worldview, it may be a good time to remind you that "We do not think the way God does". So, stop messing up what he has set in motion.

No matter what you or I believe about the origins of life on our planet, these systems are delicate, and not to be trifled with. If you don't understand how it works, leave it alone. Actually, even if you think you understand how it works, leave it alone. Humans tend to be invasive. We have a terrible track record of getting things wrong on the first try. Don't believe me? Have you read our holy book? This is no time for hubris. Plant life is resilient, but don't push it.

We need to stop acting like a bull in a China shop when it comes to our environment. Actually, why was there a bull in a China shop anyway? Was he trying to get home? Did the shop get built on his old grazing land? Animals usually show up where they don't belong, because humans have built their homes where these animals used to roam. We have a right to live on this planet as much as our animal neighbors, but maybe we don't think of them as neighbors. Maybe that is part of the problem. We have been set loose on a planet that we haven't taken the time to understand.

Now, what we thought we knew is being upended by unpredictable weather events. Why does this seem to happen, no matter where we go? Are we the problem? Of course not. This is our planet! Right? Right? We have the right to do what we want with our planet! Right?