James Richard “Rick” Perry (born March 4, 1950) is an American politician who is the 14th and current United States Secretary of Energy, serving in the Cabinet of Donald Trump. He told CNBC on Monday he does not believe carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from human activity are the main driver of climate change. When asked whether CO2 emission is the main cause of climate change, he answered: "No, most likely the primary control knob is the ocean waters and this environment that we live in."
Such statements contradict the previous public stance of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) whose webpage on the causes of climate change used to state, "Carbon dioxide is the primary greenhouse gas that is contributing to recent climate change." The EPA recently took down the web page containing that statement. Perry’s view is also at odds with the conclusion of NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Perry also said some strange things about science; “This idea that science is just absolutely settled and if you don’t believe it’s settled then somehow you’re another neanderthal, that is so inappropriate from my perspective.” Contradicting the public stance of the angency he leads, Scott Pruitt — the Environmental Protection Agency administrator — said he does not believe carbon dioxide is a primary contributor to global warming.
President Donald Trump announced this month he would pull the United States out of the Paris climate agreement, an international effort to mitigate the effects of global warming. Environmental scientists say the consequences could be catastrophic for the planet. The Paris Agreement requires nearly every country in the world to submit plans to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, but does not bind them legally to achieve those targets.
According to the Pew Research Center on Religion & Public Life, nearly all evangelicals (88%), (unfortunately) believe in miracles, suggesting a faith in a proactive God. That’s why we shouldn’t be surprised that Republican Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI) endorsed the idea that we should leave the problem with climate change in God’s hands. “As a Christian, I believe that there is a creator in God who is much bigger than us… And I’m confident that, if there’s a real problem, he can take care of it.”
I wonder what the world would look like if people leave all problems to the God to solve them. Big countries that are most responsible for climate change should and could invest more money to protect our planet and they must reduce carbon dioxide emission. God will not do that for them.
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