Re: hurricanes happen...

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: Good points. I've read the same about global warming...I believe the intensity and frequency will increase. Also about taking other options, the US has flatly refused to acknowledge what the rest of the world and even the US scientists and EPA have reported on climate change. It is a factual trend. End of story. But the US official statement is that it is not conclusive that carbon emmissions are the culprit. Political games to support the oil industry. Japan as well has taken major steps to ease their dependence and they went over extremely well with federal support there. As for the superpower issue, I think that having a blaance of power is good thing. When the USSR and the USA/NATO were in opposition it was good to have big powers to keep things balanced. But in absence of that opposition, only one super power is by default prone to tyranny, simply because they can. Not that I think the US has stepped up to the level of tyranny in foreign actions, but it is getting there in the eyes of the rest of the world. Simply because no one can refuse the US. Maybe it would be goos for Americans to realize in these times of tragedy that the US is not immune to the problems in the rest of the world. : : : All of your ideas actually do exist Give! It is possible to build in such a way that hurricanes are not a problem. We just don't because it isn't the cheapest way. It isn't cheaper because it isn't prioritized or popularized. After it is installed all such technologies pay for themselves, and many are totally passive and can be retrofitted onto existing structures. People just don't. Call it hubris, ignorance, idiocy, blindness, whatever, but people just don't. : : : Of course it is easy to think of what could have been, but now the task is helping those who need it. These things will continue. As the global temperature rises weather patterns are shifting and in this area that means more tropical level storms. All of this information is available from credible sources. Like FEMA, NOAA, WHO, even the UN. Just turn off the local news and look it up! To me the saddest thing is that many people just don't know this stuff. They sit and expect the government to take care of them...I worked for the government...the decision makers don't know any more than you do, and are often influenced more by politics than facts. But those of us below the elected level have been doing the work. It's decades old. Please don't be ignorant of this stuff...the beauty of our governmental system is that everything is public record. Channel your anger and saddness and compassion through these avenues and don't be caught off guard. And if you finally get too disillusioned by the deaf ears, do something on your own. WE are the church and the nation. We don't have to leave it up to those who get fat on our taxes and votes. : : ~True, I know we have this information about global warming. One of the things that it could be tied to is hurricanes, in intensity and/or frequency. Let me tell you, I watch weather stuff all the time, (ive been watching the weather channel since 1985) and specifically of the Gulf of Mexico's temperature, always warm in the summer, but this year they have gotten exceedingly warm, they have risen into the 90's, such of course this storm grew so much in the gulf. This could be related to global warming ( of course we dont know for sure), but we are partly to blame, and including Bush I believe he is to blame, especially because he is a global leader, and he has been given much, but he refused to ratify the Kyoto treaty, and passes an energy bill that really doesnt do much but give breaks to some of the richest corporations in the world. But I dont believe we are in a democracy, but really a corporate dictatorship, not just for that, but for many other policies being put in place. : : Also I dont understand why, supposedly in the world's superpower, there could not been put into place a policy of less dependency on oil. Brasil did it many years ago after the 70's crisis, by using Ethanol derived from agricultural products, but the so-called superpower is still sending thousands of young people to be killed, not to mention many other innocent people, supposedly to depose some leader which they had supported in the first place in the 80s', but for which I believe the reason for the invasion was otherwise. And this so-called superpower still has no clear solution on what to do. : : : : : Great post Ox! In every way! I like what you said about hurricanes just happening. I have this theory that if people live near the Gulf of Mexico or the ocean that they need to just see hurricanes as a normal part of their environment. This means not merely preparing to hide form them, but even learning to create cities with hurricanes in mind. Of course, given the current big money configuration of our landscape and social structure, this is not likely to happen overnight, but perhaps if enough hurricanes damage our cities over a long enough amount of time we will approach our city planning and architecture (or at least begin where we can) in hurricane friendly ways. I personally feel that it isn't a pipe dream to learn to coexist w storms. This doesn't mean some blind idealism about hurricanes curling up at our feet while we sleep at night. But, it just means that if we live in hurricane country we will start to see the hurricanes, not as bad or as our enemy, but as a grand and mysterious part of nature to be reverenced and dwelt with and not shunned. It's tragic that people suffer during storms. And I'm 100% for evacuation. I'm not blind to common sense. Still I think that if we build hurricane friendly cities w hurricane friendly structures, and an infrastructure of hurricane awareness and preparedness we will be ahead of the game. Then, we could even build skins on our housing that could harness wind energy and convert to hurricane energy during down electric times. Just thoughts. I don't know how to bring them about, but I do feel them deeply. : : : : Bill : : : : : : : : I realize that I may be walking right into the lions den here, but I have got to say something to someone...I think I will go throw up first... : : : : : (Ox leaves the room to spend several hours worshipping the porceline god) : : : : : O.k., now that I've done that, here it is...I am a conservative dressed in Liberal clothing. Yes I know, this is a shock to many, but I believe that less government involvment in our lives is a good thing, and I believe that we should all be so lucky to live at Club G'itmo, yet I digress. The fact is, President Bush did not cause Katrina. He didn't go over to Africa and sneeze off of the coast causing a tropical wave which he had planned to aim right for the Big Easy. Now don't get me wrong, I don't agree with Bush on many levels, but I don't think that blaming him for things he cannot control is fair, or right. That is just as stupid as blaming him for 9/11, or blaming Clinton for the fact that I aquired diabetes in 1993. Bill couldn't have given me diabetes, he was too busy giving away ghonorrea. And another thing, Katrina didn't just target Blacks...she targeted the Orientals as well. Thank God no white people were hurt, or else I would just walk away from this country. (I kid of course...kill whitey!!!) All I can say is give me a #&*%ing break. : : : : : Back in the '90's the cool montra was "get real", o.k. let's get real. The fact is, PEOPLE run this country, not perfect beings, and hind sight is ALWAYS 20/20. Oh, here's another interesting fact, hurricanes happen. No kidding!!! so do earthquakes, tornados, tsunamis, mudslides, volcanos, blizzards, and even drought. No matter what part of the country you live, you will experience at least one of these forces of nature. And the funny thing is that the amount of money we as a nation spend to give minimul protection to areas affected by these things is still a daunting amount. Oh, and another thing, when they build things, the may be right for that time period, but they do get old, and need frequent updating, which again is a daunting task for every government official to undertake. I guess the easiest thing to do is blame Bush. (can you see my hypocracy running deep...instead of doing something about it, I complain...) : : : : : Also, I think it's repulsive that "artists" get together to raise money for the poor in Africa, and throw away $12,000 gift baskets of food. And what nation or group of "artists" will come out and support our people financially? How much aid did we recieve from other countries after 9/11? I would bet that it didn't even come close to the aid we gave out after the Tsunami. (hypocracy in action...I know, you're saying moveon with it) : : : : : Here it is in a nutshell; speak out against the government when it's done something foolish, i.e. property rights (puke for another post); slam Bush on stupid decisions he's made in leading our country, i.e. stabbing israel in the back (again puke for another post); stand up for what is right, i.e. kill whitey; question any artist from Canada telling the U.S. how to run it's country, i.e. System of a Down; and finally, don't believe everything that you read unless I am the one that wrote it. : : : : : Ox

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