Why is the planet the way it is today?
The planet is in its present condition because Adam's sin brought God's curse upon all creation. Scripture says creation was subjected to vanity, not willingly, but by God who subjected it in hope. The curse affects animate and inanimate creation, causing deserts and other changes, making the world what it is today.
Les teaches that the moment Adam sinned, the curse fell, and everything—inanimate, animate, the birds, the fish—came under its awful effect. The curse causes great areas of desert, such as the Sahara; it wasn't the way God created it. The planet's condition today is the result of Adam's rebellion. Yet God immediately provided a remedy, promising in Genesis 3:15. Also, the tribulation will pay off the curse, the world will be delivered from it, and all of nature is looking forward to it, though this takes faith.