This new book is wonderfully written in a non-offensive but comprehensive way, bringing a breath of fresh air to the controversial subject of climate change, which is currently used to mean global warming. It says it’s for kids, but there’s a lot of information here that probably 90% of parents have never heard, especially younger parents, so it’s just as important for parents to read this.
Co-authored by Ken Ham and Jessica DeFord, both of whom were taught scary things about climate change in school and university. Ken Ham, being the older of the two, was taught that we were heading into a new ice age, which gives him a broad perspective of both global cooling and warming. In the introduction Jessica DeFord also tells her story of how on the one hand she was taught that as a science student she was to ask questions and think critically but on the other hand she noticed that evolution and global warming were being pushed as if they were undisputed facts - no questions asked.
The book is beautifully and abundantly filled with color illustrations throughout. The introduction includes a chart demonstrating how climate change predictions have been wrong for at least 70 years. In the 50s and 70s, predictions were made that earth would run out of fossil fuels - it still hasn’t happened. In the 60s, a drastic rise in sea levels was predicted - the 6” rise since then could hardly be called drastic. In the 70s, we kept hearing about of the start of a new ice age - another failed prediction. In the 80s, we heard that man-made emissions would be catastrophic - another extreme exaggeration, at best. In the 90s, solar activity cycles were linked to climate change, but again, this was an exaggeration - solar cycles are only one part of the picture, not the whole cause. In the 2000s, it was said that damage to the earth biomes would take very long periods to be renewed, but there is plenty of evidence that the opposite is true. (Mt. St. Helens is a prime example.)
In a calm look at weather and climate, which are not the same, weather being short term effects and climate being a long range pattern for an area, this book explains that it isn’t as simple as just temperature and precipitation - there are many other factors - so many, that the whole subject is very complicated. For example, cloud patterns, wind, ocean currents, and solar activity all should be taken into consideration.
Climate has changed, of course, as evidenced by things like satellite imagery of river beds under the Sahara sands, former settlements in Greenland, the midwest dustbowl of the 30s, and frozen mammoths found in the arctic permafrost with tropical plants in their stomachs.
While acknowledging the estimate of a global temperature increase of somewhere between 1.5 and 1.8 C in the past 100 years, it is pointed out that this estimate wasn’t reached entirely from observational data. It was arrived at by a combination of data from weather stations and satellites, plus computer models, which of course are not perfect.
Then the really important question is addressed - is global warming caused by humans increasing their CO2 emissions?
First, it’s pointed out that water vapor is the most abundant of the many greenhouse gases, and “it accounts for 60-95% of the greenhouse gas effect”. Statements like that are footnoted on the last page with the source cited . Altogether there are 36 footnotes for the 80 page book. Even though this is “Climate Change for children and adults too”, it’s recommended for age 9 and above.
Since water vapor is by far the most abundant, it’s a stretch to think that the small amount (.04%) of CO2 is causing the warming. On the other hand, CO2 is so good for plants that one study found the increase in CO2 during the 50 years from ‘61 to 2012 increased global crop yield by $3.2 Trillion dollars. Here I’ll give you an example of one of the footnotes - the crop yield study is cited “Craig D. Itso, 2013. The Positive Externalities of Carbon Dioxide: Estimating the Monetary Benefits of Rising Atmospheric CO2 Concentration on Global Food Production. http://www.co2science.org/education/reports/co2benefits/”
At this point, photosynthesis is illustrated and explained. Plants need CO2, which they take in along with water and sunlight, and they give off oxygen, which is what we need.
From there, the discussion turns to natural cycles, like El Nino and La Nina, and then the fact that there have always been hurricanes, wildfire, and drought, from ancient times, and they are not increasing. It’s true that hurricanes are causing more damage, but that’s because the population has increased, and the accompanying housing.
The medieval warm period, the little ice age, polar bears, coral reefs, fossil fuels, renewables - it’s all here, and discussed reasonably and calmly. No hysterics.
I’ll make a couple brief summary statements:
“Renewable energy” and EVs aren’t really renewable or sustainable, and they’re not easily recycled, if at all. The mining of things like lithium, cobalt, copper, and rare earth minerals can hardly be described as renewable. Not only that, but poor people are unable to afford these expensive forms of energy. But the conventional forms of cheap energy are good for everyone.
The latter part of the book explains the biblical worldview and how it applies to climate change. Those who are not familiar with this worldview should find this part very interesting.
In a nutshell, God created the world and in the beginning there was a perfect climate. Then sin ruined everything, and the whole creation is suffering the consequences. But God is in control, and has put a limit on those consequences, until Jesus comes again, and then his followers have the promise of a new heaven and a new earth.
Romans 8:22 says “For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers…”
We have bad local floods, but God has promised that they will never again cover the whole earth like they did in Noah’s day.
Before the new heaven and new earth, this ol’ sin-sick world will be burnt up - not by global warming, but by God’s judgment.
But in the meantime, remember and be comforted by Genesis 8:22:
“As long as the earth endures,
seedtime and harvest,
cold and heat,
summer and winter,
day and night
will never cease.”
I heartily recommend this book. Available in either hard copy or e-book. You can order it here: https://answersingenesis.org/store/product/climate-change-kids/
this (above) is the back cover
In case you’re wondering, No, I don’t get a commission. I just want to spread the word.
My version:
Climate has always changed, the end