Perhaps, if you are in your 60s or 70s or 80s, Sandy’s destructive forces are a-once-in-your lifetime event. But younger generations — those of us in our 50s, and our children — will likely be looking at flooded coastal cities, devastated infrastructure, blown-out power and storm surges for the rest of our lives.
We’ve got to stop this “angels dancing on the head of a pin” argument about the connections between individual storms and climate change. Scientists can — and should — try to parse out each and every contributor to a storm. That’s their job. But policymakers cannot afford to do so — or to wait for definitive answers. The overall picture is dire enough. Our climate is changing, for the worse. Reliability and predictability of climate patterns? That too belongs to an older generation. We need only look at the role of warmer North Atlantic ocean temperatures in Sandy’s growth to see this.
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1 comment:
Those of us in our 60s, 70s and 80s KNOW that Sandy was not a once-in-your-lifetime event.
Fifty years ago, in March 1962, there was a storm that rivaled Sandy for destruction of virtually the same area that was visited last week by Sandy. Virginia was hit harder then and New York not as badly - but New Jersey had the same type of damage.
Those in their 70s and 80s would remember 1944 and 1938 hurricanes too (they didn't name them then - referred to them as nor'easters).
I know that it doesn't fit the author's premise, but it would be nice if writers did a little bit of research before foretelling their visions of doom.
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