The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse? Who knew?
Posted in Environment
Mar. 14, 2008 at 17:24
by BrendaBee
'{5} When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. {6} Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, "A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!" Revelations 6: 1-8
I read an article today forecasting food shortages worldwide being imminent that brought to mind the above Bible verse. This is especially eerie when you consider 'A quart of wheat for a day's wages…” as compared to this paragraph from the article: 'This rise in prices is a consequence of both demand and supply trends. On the demand side, the key factor has been the strong consumption growth in emerging markets, which in turn has been powered by those countries' impressive income gains. China, for example, has accounted for up to 40 per cent of the increase in global consumption of soybeans and meat over the past decade.”
The first Horseman to ride was Pestilence. 'I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, "Come!" {2} I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest' What is pestilence except illness caused by things harmful to man that have invaded man's environment. In other words: pollution.
Pollution caused by the use of filthy fossil fuels that the United States for the better part of a century was the biggest user and polluter. Now fossil fuels are being used on a scale unknown until recent decades when India and China began coming into the Industrial Age and needed more and more energy to fuel their factories. More and more energy to give their people who are now more prosperous the comforts of electricity and gasoline powered transportation.
Pollution of the atmosphere by these fossil fuels that man has been using for this energy that not only sickened man but also is sickening the Earth itself and causing Global Warming. Global Warming from carbon gases released into the atmosphere that in turn has lead man on a quest to find alternative fuels to reduce the effects of these carbon gases in an effort to save the planet from more damage. Which in turn is cutting into the food supplies : 'Perhaps the most important drivers of price gains over the past year are developments in world energy markets. High oil prices have encouraged a policy focus on biofuels, including lashings of generous financial support. Production has responded quickly to these incentives: the World Bank reports that the US has used 20 per cent of its maize production for biofuels and the European Union 68 per cent of its vegetable oil production. This change in usage has boosted prices, reduced the supply of these crops available for food and encouraged the substitution of other agricultural land from food to biofuel production'
As formerly food stuff is used for biofuels for power the area of the world able to grow the crops is also shrinking due to Global Warming. 'supply response to the stimulus provided by higher prices may prove to be of greater duration than its predecessors, to the extent that the current changes in world energy markets, and hence the associated demand for biofuels , are likely to be lasting ones. With climate change and environmental degradation threatening agricultural capacity in several key regions, '
And finally the First Horseman War and the Fourth Horseman Death ride together thru out the world as hunger brings on starvation and death and wars of the have nots against the haves. The wealthier countries who are claiming the lions share of the food stuff for both consumption and biofuels while the poor countries die: 'there are important social strains to be managed. These may be particularly problematic for those emerging markets that are already struggling to deal with the consequences of growing inequality. Granted, higher food prices are something of a two-edged sword here, since higher agricultural earnings could reduce rural-urban income disparities. But the big losers are likely to be the urban poor, typically a politically volatile group, while many of the rural poor will also suffer."
"Finally, higher food prices will call for tighter monetary policy. Given the disparity in the share of food in consumption baskets, and the fact that rich country central banks tend to exclude food prices from their core inflation measures, the policy reaction will tend to be greater in developing economies. Authorities may also be tempted by price controls and other direct measures. However, rich country central banks will also have to keep a close watch on any spillover effects that tighter monetary policy could have on non-food prices'
Strange all of my life I have studied these verses and wondered about them and what would bring it all about. I, like many others, was quite sure it would be a nuclear war of the nations that would bring on the death of the planet in a Nuclear Winter. One terrible unholy action by a few insane men that would bring mankind down in a matter of mere hours as we poured our manmade venom at each other. Never did I consider it would be my joy riding and sight seeing all over the continent for eleven years in a highly polluting diesel truck. Or my demand for electricity from coal and oil power plants supplying the electricity for comfortable air conditioning because I hate to sweat. BB
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