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Dr. Del Tackett is the author, architect and teacher for Focus on the Family's The Truth Project, a nationwide initiative designed to bring the Christian worldview to the body of Christ.
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It’s the Dog’s Fault & Other Potpourri
Posted on December 23, 2009
Filed Under Personal, The State |
***Speaking of Global Warming…
I recall my good friend, Grant, pointing me to a book with a catchy title: “Time to Eat the Dog”. The New Zealand authors are “sustainable living” experts at Victoria University and they calculated the “carbon foot print” of owning and feeding the average-sized pet pooch. They published the results and it has obviously angered a lot of Fido aficionados. Now, I love dogs, but their research gave me a chuckle rather than a growl (or even a bark).
Evidently, it turns out that your little Foo-Foo has a greater carbon impact on the planet than SUVs like my Black Beauty (not a horse—my shiny black pickup truck). Twice as much, as a matter of fact! A cat adds the same carbon as driving a small compact for a year. Even your hamster should be wearing a carbon-guilty look. (This is a picture of my daughter’s dog, Tashia. A tiny, miniature Daschund. And yet, covertly, a disgusting CO2 factory!)
But it is the response that has me fascinated. Folks who are Global Warming fanatics are angered that someone would insinuate that they should have to belly up to the sacrificial bar with their pets.
In a recent AFP article by Toussaint and Hecker, a woman who is obviously trying to save the planet in other ways offered this protest:
“Everyone should work out their own environmental impact. I should be allowed to say that I walk instead of using my car and that I don’t eat meat, so why shouldn’t I be allowed to have a little cat to alleviate my loneliness?”
Isn’t this interesting? Many have been shouting “Down with your SUV!” and yet aren’t willing to give up Old Yeller or Fi Fi or Samantha. They may argue that people get attached to dogs or cats or hamsters, but who gets attached to an old gas guzzling SUV? Well, I do. My Black Beauty has given me incredible moments of joy and has alleviated my loneliness as well (better than a cat could, I think).
So, if you gave up your SUV for a dog-sled thinking you were saving the planet, turns out you’re wrong! Assuming you have the small-sized 4 DP dog sled (that’s four dog power), what you really have is a fleet of 8 SUVs—enough to possibly raise the temperature in my back yard enough to melt the ice dams on my roof!
Now, I actually don’t believe the Global Warming Crisis hype, so I’m not too worried if you have a team of dogs pulling your sled or you live with seven cats (whew!). I’m actually of the opinion that the temperature fluctuates naturally and, if anything, we may need more CO2 in the world. Trees and plants inhale that stuff and I wouldn’t want them to suffocate.
So please, don’t eat your dog…or your cat (I can’t imagine that!)
***Employed!
After exactly three months of being unemployed, I started work Monday for Coral Ridge Ministries. We will be creating a new television show that will help viewers “connect the dots” between what is going on around us (through a story) and a biblical worldview. Our premise is that if a story is filled with pain and pathology—things just aren’t working very well—it is most likely because of defying God’s design. If the story is one of blessing and seems to be working well, then it is most likely because of an alignment “with” God’s design.
I’m excited about this. Construction on the new set will begin soon and we are scheduled to film the first show mid-February.
If you have stories that illustrate the “blessings or curses” of following or denying God’s design, send them in and we may travel there and film it.
***Gastrocnemius status.
(If you don’t know what your gastrocnemius is, you missed my earlier blog).
Thank you for your prayers and notes of concern. It is healing quite well and today I actually was able to walk a little. Not only that, but I drove Black Beauty ALONE this afternoon (women and children stay inside!). The swelling and bruising is almost gone and it is starting to look somewhat like a normal leg again.
I visit the PT next week for my first real therapy session. (Some one wrote in that their son called the PT a Physical Terrorist!)
The hardest part is when people ask me what happened. When I tell them I tore my calf muscle playing football, they give me that “what-in-the-world-is-someone-your-age-playing-football” look. I just smile and say, “I’ll be back on the field in a few months!” Ha! I have to get ready for Ultimate Frisbee with the students this spring!
***Merry Christmas!
Although I am writing a Christmas story for my next blog, let me take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas!
May the One who brought joy to Mary and Joseph and the shepherds and the angels and ultimately to the whole world on a night long ago, fill you with that same joy this Christmas and forever.
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9 Responses to “It’s the Dog’s Fault & Other Potpourri”
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Going Green in a dog eat dog world
Congratulations to you and the visionaries at Coral Ridge! Brilliant concept .. and unique. Judging from your description here, the new program will offer content you can’t get anywhere else.
Del, I know this was all about shock and ridicule, but you should be a bit careful. Since you are all about the Truth Project, it will look bad if someone reads the book and realizes that the carbon footprint of the pet is the food production — not the exhaled CO2 as implied. Secondly, if you read even a synopsis of the analysis, a dog can be saddled with twice the footprint of a Toyota Land Cruiser driven a little over 6000 miles per year. I believe the average US miles per year to be about 12000.
Hello Del,
After watching the Truth Project series again for the 4th time last week, it amazes me how much scripture is revealed in this “footprint” topic. Just when I think that the people who” worship the creation rather than the creator” cant get any more absurd, suprise! they do. But I find anticipation that this pushes us closer too being called up too Christ. The “footprint people” should be looking foward too that also since it will relieve their carbon crisis,..although saddly it will create another.
Del,
Glad to hear you’re making progress on the sacrificed calf (sacred cow?). And the great news on the new job. Congrats and God bless us, everyone!
I am troubled by the premise of your new show that in stories filled with pain and pathology—things just aren’t working very well—it is most likely because of defying God’s design and when things are going well it is most likely because of an alignment “with” God’s design. In my understanding this is not biblical at all. I only have to think of the Biblical account of Job whose life was filled with much pain and yet he did not defy God.
Am I missing something?
Del,
As you are probably aware, there was quite a wonderful miracle there in your area on Christmas Eve regarding a young Mother who died while giving childbirth and the child also died. Both were successfully resuscitated leaving the doctors unable to explain either the death or the successful resuscitative efforts. The family identify themselves as Christians and live in Security, Colorado down your way. Here is a fox news story link: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,581444,00.html
This might be an interesting story to feature on your new show.
One way to do the right thing pet-wise is to adopt a shelter dog/cat/hamster. You’re not adding to the pet population (and purported CO2 crisis) through breeding more animals, and (to paraphrase Ben Franklin) they’re SOOOO grateful!
“sorree, sorree, sorree…”(borrowed from the goose in Charlotte’s Web) concerning your injury….it sounds as though the recovery is coming along…I suppose the Lord is providing a generous portion of patience and grace as well.