By Rev. Robert Plaisted

Guest Columnist

In 1960, a group of wide-eyed high school juniors stared at a patch of white powder in a metal dish. I was one of them. Our teacher had just performed a classic chemistry experiment — mixing a pre-measured quantity of hydrochloric acid (very corrosive), with a pre-measured quantity of sodium hydroxide (very caustic), and then heating the mixture over a Bunsen burner. Now, he was inviting us to wet our fingertips, dip them into that white powder, and put some of it on our tongues.

We had studied the chemical reaction, worked through the equation, and understood in theory what should happen. Touching our tongues, with either the acid or base, would cause severe chemical burns. But, when the two were mixed, hydrogen and oxygen recombined to form water, while sodium and chlorine recombined to form sodium chloride. Heating that mixture would evaporate the water, leaving white powder, which should be ordinary table salt. Now, we were being asked to test that hypothesis with our mouths.

The Bible teaches that “faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1). I’ve rarely heard traditional, orthodox Christians talk about how much faith is required to trust science. There we were — mainline Christians like me, some hard-core fundamentalists, and others who didn’t believe in either side. Were we sure of what we hoped for? Were we certain of a chemical reaction we couldn’t see? Putting that stuff in our mouths would be an act of faith — the faith to trust science. Most of us chose to taste the powder; a few refused. Guess what? It was salt!

It doesn’t matter whether it’s high school chemistry or world-class climatology; the problem remains the same. Do we have the faith to follow evidence where it leads, and trust conclusions drawn from it? If the evidence points to facts that contradict our cherished beliefs, do we have the faith to change our minds and abandon traditional dogma?

For example, this winter hasn’t quite become “the winter that wasn’t,” but it’s made a good start. Here in southern Maine, it’s been among the warmest on record. Aside from two short, snowy cold snaps, it predominantly has featured mild days, little natural snow, ice-free lakes and slim pickings for winter sports enthusiasts.

A recent Boston Globe column opined, “Welcome to the new normal for New England winters, where increasingly, maple syrup producers are tapping trees over a month early, ski resorts and skating rinks are opening later or not at all, and T-shirt weather is arriving before Presidents’ Day. It’s February in Massachusetts, but you wouldn’t know it without a calendar. The climate I lived in as a kid is long gone. Climate change is stealing New England’s winters.”

Actually, winter isn’t being stolen. We’re throwing it away through our own bad choices. We brought this on ourselves, folks. So, flail away, denialists. Rhapsodize about “the most successful system in history,” right up until it fails. Wait for the Second Coming, and hope for the best. Reality won’t change to suit you, but there is a better response. Trust the evidence all around you.

When I put that powder on my tongue, I thought, “My God, it’s really salt!” I had the faith to trust science then, and I still do. Climate-science deniers could do the same with the evidence they see every day. But that requires them to have as much faith as believing in God.

Rev. Robert Plaisted is a retired United Methodist clergyman, formerly of Bridgton, now residing in Bath.