Throwing the Virgin in the Volcano

I was watching a wonderful show about volcanoes the other day. It showed the history of the volcanic atolls all around the world. I didn't realize how much land volcanoes added every year. In fact, volcanic eruptions are the only way that land actually grows. The land they create is sterile at first, but in a geologically short time, this new earth becomes very fertile, replenishing minerals that plant and animal life has depleted.
O.K., so now that the nature lesson is over, I can get to the point. The fact is that all this good comes from an explosive mountain burp. But a lot of destruction comes as well. The entire top of Mount St. Helens blew off, people lose homes in Hawaii to lava flow, and we have all seen the destruction that Tsunamis can wreak.
But that is the nature of change. It gives and it takes.
Ancient peoples so feared this change, they had been known to throw a virgin into the mouth of the volcano to "appease the gods."
I couldn't help but compare this to the fears of climate change. Now, don't get me wrong. I believe that we need to recycle and I am all for alternative forms of energy. But I'm not so sure that: a)there is all that much change occurring or b)we have anything to do with it.
I have read and studied about global warming for many years. The truth is that there has been cyclical warming and cooling on earth for billions of years. We can chart this warming and cooling through a variety of ways, but over the last several thousand years, we can chart it through recorded history. In fact, every time mankind has made major leaps, it has been during times of global warming. These are the periods in our earth's history that water has been freed form the polar ice caps and land has been more fertile. It is during those times of global cooling that we have historically suffered drought and illness.
But just as ancient people offered the destruction of an innocent in the hopes of forestalling an eruption, I have met people who are willing to destroy our entire society simply on the chance that it might stop climate change.
The fact is, life changes. We need to be thoughtful and responsible in how we meet this change.