| | Andrew:
I'm sorry, but the American Prospect has a point. If hurricanes are made to be a political/environmental issue-- the issue of hurricanes can be dealt with quite easily.
All that needs to be done is for the international community at large to rise up in protest against their state and federal government who have clearly not done enough to stem the growing frequency of hurricanes in the past decade. Since environmental decline is the problem, we must demand stricter legislation against CO2 emissions and heavier taxation on products which are harmful to the environment, such as oil-derived products and air travel. If we are strong enough and willing enough, the legislators will see our wisdom and eventually will adopt our measures by 2006.
The gradual reduction in hurricanes in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011 will be proof that we were right.
And then in 2012, when an unexpected Category 5 storm hits, with much lose of life and property, we will still be proven right, because, after all, the measures in 2006, did not go far enough and the oil companies still pollute far too much!
So, once again, it will be incumbent upon the international community to rise up in protest. But this time more drastic measures must be enacted if these deadly hurricanes are to be stopped. Stemming CO2 production was simply not enough, it must be stopped altogether. Industries and consumers must face up to reality and realize that they are the problem. Therefore, industry must convert all emitting equipment to environmentally friendly equipment within two years and automobile owners must convert to electric cars within two years. As well, from this point onwards, fossil fuel cars will only be allowed on intercity and interstate highways, not on city roads. A nationwide trillion dollar public transit system with electric buses must be created to supply intracity transportation. With enough protesting these measures will be enacted in 2013.
So, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 go by without major hurricanes and the government measures have gone relatively smoothly. Sure, the economy has taken a bit of a hit, but it is for the greater good. And the public transit system has been functioning rather smoothly with maximum waiting times of only 20 minutes.
Surely enough though, in 2020, as residual pollutants are still wreaking havoc on the environment, another Category 5 storm hits, first the Florida Keys and then Louisiana and Mississippi. Unfortunately, due to a lack of government foresight, tens of thousands of people die as a result of not being able to flee the towns and cities in the path of the hurricane. Why? Because there were not enough buses!
Doubleplusungood!
T
(Edited by Tyson Russell on 10/01, 1:56pm)
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