Deep Thought of the Day: Is Global Warming real or a product of cultural narrative?

Fair warning, this post will NOT address the science of Global Warming at all. I am not arguing for or against it here, just making an observation about human nature. Feel free to argue the science elsewhere.

I was watching several DVDs from the "Walking with Dinosaurs" series - a "comfort food" of DVDs for me - when I noticed something. The theory of Evolution has driven us to look at history as a series of responses to events greater than ourselves. Over and over again, Evolution is seen being driven by global events larger than any particular species of ecosystem: ice ages, comet strikes, volcanic activity, etc. Each challenge brings out a different set of evolved characteristics to cope (thick fur, keen eyes, large size, etc.) This narrative - of individuals and groups driven by forces beyond their control - has become a deep part of our cultural psyche.

At the same time, there is a different narrative that is a deep part of our cultural psyche which has arisen from the Industrial Revolution. This narrative looks at the transformations of societies, ecologies, and landscapes of the 20th century, and proclaims that there is nothing that humans can not do. There is nothing that we can not modify to meet our own needs. The individual, in this view, is not a helpless reactor to events, but a DRIVER of events as he or she molds the world around them to fit themselves.

Is it any surprise then that a theory like Global Warming has gained ascendance at the moment? It is the perfect synthesis of these two cultural narratives. Are we at the mercy of forces beyond our control? YES! The planet is warming around us, changing the climate, the delicate balance of ecology, weather systems, etc. We are due to be flooded at the coasts, subjected to droughts inland, and expect a rise in disease at the periphery. But are we also the masters of our world? YES! Humans made this disaster by environmental modification, and humans have the ability to head off this disaster (if we act quickly). The warming is due to the emissions of man-made machines and the deforestation of man-made agriculture. Global warming gives us both narratives in a single story, allowing us to view our world thru a lens that perfectly matches 21st century thinking.

Of course, this does raise a question. Have humans ever been good at doing long-term planning based on an idea that happens to match the current cultural narrative? At some momenta, we may say yes. The American founders created a Republic where none had existed before, because of the ideas of their particular moment in history. But at other moments in history, the ascendant syntheses gave us Communism, Fascism/Naziism, Crusades, Empires, and more. We need to take a step back and look at this idea to be sure that we accept or deny it based on its merits, and not merely because it fits the cultural synthesis we have at the moment.