Well, that Arctic oscillation is certainly making Europe and North America shiver. The coldest January in Britain for 23 years. The most snow Washington DC has seen for ninety years (yes, the media really did call it snowmageddon. Cool name. A tad hyperbolic, perhaps). And from this author’s home in Pennsylvania, I can see over a foot of snow, for the second time this winter.

 Well, thank goodness someone invented snow blowers. I cleared our long driveway in an hour. And it gave me pause for thought. How likely is it that we are going to wean ourselves off petroleum products completely for our power tools and automobiles? Committed environmentalist that I am, I cannot envisage that any of us in wintry climes are going to give up snow blowers any time soon.

 It’s complicated, isn’t it? I don’t have access to a gaggle of willing teenagers who will dig me out with muscle power alone. I suppose I could get a snow-clearing service…but that would be more money, and hardly more ecological! Of course, those long driveways are a product of affluence, that is, a consequence of the trend to plop big houses on huge lots (and my first blog covered my large house, and my switch to all-renewable electricity as a potent salve to my conscience)

So, without being reactionary, we will need liquid fuels for a while, at least until we can have battery-driven snow blowers, charged with non-polluting electricity.

Continuing with this theme, there is a marvelous article in that excellent periodical the Economist, on ‘cap-and-dividend’ as a way to curb the United States’ nightmare consumption of fossil fuels (http://www.economist.com/world/united-states/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15453166). It reports, almost as an aside, an attitude which, it pains me to report, as a Christian, is not infrequent. The Illinois congressman John Shimkus is reported to have said, just because God promised not to send another flood, that “Man will not destroy this Earth”….by global warming or anything else.

 Hmmm…...

 Well, global warming will not destroy the Earth. It risks making a spectacular mess of our civilization, and is likely to drive many thousands of species – God’s creatures, I could say – into the oblivion of extinction. But the Earth will not be destroyed…no.

Just trashed. Not snowmageddon. More like sweltermageddon.

Or spoiledmageddon

Of course, ‘Climategate’ and other snafus by climate change scientists have not helped here…fueling the skepticism seen in the UK and elsewhere that global warming even exists (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8500443.stm). The snow ain’t helping.

So, what are we to do, brothers?

My friends the Sleeths (www.blessedearth.org) are Christians who have walked the road less traveled. They reduced their footprint more than anyone else I know. They espouse the concept that this planet was God’s gift to us - for us to respect and look after. Voices of calm determination to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. And they are not the only Christians who think that way - visit their web site, and www.arocha.org , for encouragement.

But there is a looooooooong way to go. And it will take all who love this beautiful Earth - of all beliefs and of none - to work to combat mankind’s reckless embrace of convenience today, for crisis tomorrow.