From Darwin to climate change - the debate goes on

by Robert McLean

Those uncomfortable with Darwin’s evolutionary thesis appear to have coalesced to become contemporary skeptics of human induced climate change.

Charles Darwin

In fact those who have “other world” beliefs, or faith in one of many supernatural powers, appear to have a reservoir of almost unrecognized opinions that emerge as skepticism when the conversation turns to climate change.

That, in itself, is not necessarily a bad thing, rather simply illustrates that people sheathed in modernity are really locked into an era and values with which Charles Darwin wrestled when he first talked of evolution in 1859.

Those with that hidden and unrecognised allegiance to creationism threaten humanity’s survival and seemingly unconsciously attribute our changing climate as retribution from supernatural powers for our less than ideal behaviour.

Thoughts about our behaviour maybe accurate, but what is happening, it must be emphasised, is in fact the outcome of how we are treating the planet and not, despite the views of many, the consequence of decisions by some other-worldly source.

That, however, is just another distraction keeping us from actively confronting the challenges we face in a world wrestling with at least a trio of forces, being climate change, energy depletion and a collapsing global economy.

Religious beliefs, whatever they might be, are frequently of life and death importance to those who adhere to them, but humanity’s present dilemmas are of such magnitude that they far exceed personal adherence to those various beliefs.

The waste of war

Mankind has toiled for centuries through many social eruptions, both good and bad and until now they have been comparatively local, even though World War Two swept around much of the planet, but what is evolving surpasses any past dilemma.

Apocalyptic rhetoric espousing facts beyond other-worldly faiths have little impact on creationist sympathizers and although dilemmas facing humanity are secular they can only be addressed through actions that are practical, reasoned, pragmatic and earthly, rather than through prayers to an entity who existence is utterly improbable.

That is not to say, however, that those with other-worldly beliefs should stand aside for the energy and commitment they devote to their faith in instructive to us all, being illustrative of what will be needed as we struggle with the many and varied impacts of these world-changing humanity-threatening occurrences.

Long have I imagined that an extra-terrestrial threat was needed to fuse humanity, to get beyond our school yard-like spats and stand as one address the peril and so fend if off.

Never did I imagine that the prolificacy of humans, both in terms of sheer numbers and our ever-expanding knowledge base, would themselves produce that menace.

Present emerging hazards have emerged from human endeavour and that same purpose driven enterprise free from the superstitions that hindered Darwin stand as our prime defence.