To even begin to struggle with that question we need to understand something of human paradigms or modes of being.

There have been four main modes of being in western history, beginning with the family of tribal paradigm. This began with the dawning of human civilization and continued through to about the fourth century. 

Then came the religious paradigm where everyone understood life through a faith context. This started to unravel during the enlightenment in the 18th century and the paradigm shift came in the 19th century with the political paradigm. Political systems such as Marxism/Communism, Fascism and Capitalism dominated our existence. Eventually Capitalism won and gave birth the the fourth paradigm, that of economics.

We now understand everything through the economic context, so it stands to reason that we would try to address an environmental issue ie; global warming, through economic measures ie; a carbon tax. 

However this raises the question. What will the fifth paradigm be?

It is becoming increasingly obvious the the fifth paradigm will that of the environment.  So we can understand this carbon tax, which will eventually evolve into an emissions trading scheme, is the first step into an inevitable new paradigm.

To draw back from this now will only prolong the birth pains of a new way of being.

Christians believe that all humanity are called to be goods stewards of creation; we are therefore well equipped to take our place in the new paradigm.

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