But order arises from disorder all around us. For example, if we have a high potential in one place and a low potential in another we can get useful work out of the current flow. Now the Earth is constantly radiating energy into empty space which has a very low energy level. It is intercepting energy from the Sun which has a very high energy level. In an open system where there is energy constantly flowing through system you can have local complex perturbations that are not in equilibrium.
Life is a local complex perturbation.
The important thing to understand from the viewpoint of thermodynamics is that evolution is irrelevant to the thermodynamics of life. Each cell is a little island of reduced entropy. It is also important to realize that life is really a very small perturbation in the over all energy flow. Indeed, I have since found that engineering educators, senior engineers, and registered professional engineers are perhaps the most prominent leaders of the creationist movement. As an engineering professor and a registered engineer myself, I felt it would be professionally irresponsible to let this travesty continue without comment.