Scientists have been warning about climate change for decades - including man's contribution to it.
Yet politicians and decision makers, although talking, are doing little to act on those warnings.
Whether one is a believer or not, is irrelevant - the changes are with us.
More violent and extremes of weather will become more frequent, with increasing damage, which may well lead to the breakdown of civilisation as we know it. And that is without the contribution of other forms of catastrophes such as earthquakes.
As we see more natural disasters, governments will step in imposing ‘emergency management', which is generally disrespectful of, and overrides any of the democratic processes.
More money will be spent on ‘disaster management' at the cost of other needs, such as health and education. Interestingly, 2013 is the 400th anniversary of the Bible being published.
It outlines the consequences of man's folly in disregarding God's laws and commandments, such as by focusing instead on their own ‘self good'. rather than the ‘common good'.
Currently, one billion people are hungry; two billion suffer from micronutrient deficiencies and only 1-1.5 billion people live up to a similar standard of living that we do.
Oh, and keep a ‘weather-eye' out on events in the Middle East and Europe as they continue to unfold. There are interesting times ahead, which may well be the greatest threat to civilisation, as we know it.

G Allan, Matua.