This week, our nation has anxiously watched as Hurricane Sandy lashed the East Coast and caused widespread damage -- affecting millions. Now more than ever, our neighbors need our help. Please consider donating or volunteering for your local aid organizations.
The images of Sandy's flooding brought back memories of a similar -- albeit smaller scale -- event in Nashville just two years ago. There, unprecedented rainfall caused widespread flooding, wreaking havoc and submerging sections of my hometown. For me, the Nashville flood was a milestone. For many, Hurricane Sandy may prove to be a similar event: a time when the climate crisis -- which is often sequestered to the far reaches of our everyday awareness became a reality.
While the storm that drenched Nashville was not a tropical cyclone like Hurricane Sandy, both storms were strengthened by the climate crisis. Scientists tell us that by continually dumping 90 million tons of global warming pollution into the atmosphere every single day, we are altering the environment in which all storms develop. As the oceans and atmosphere continue to warm, storms are becoming more energetic and powerful. Hurricane Sandy, and the Nashville flood, were reminders of just that. Other climate-related catastrophes around the world have carried the same message to hundreds of millions.
Sandy was also affected by other symptoms of the climate crisis. As the hurricane approached the East Coast, it gathered strength from abnormally warm coastal waters. At the same time, Sandy's storm surge was worsened by a century of sea level rise. Scientists tell us that if we do not reduce our emissions, these problems will only grow worse.
Hurricane Sandy is a disturbing sign of things to come. We must heed this warning and act quickly to solve the climate crisis. Dirty energy makes dirty weather.
Cross-posted from Al's Journal
Follow Al Gore on Twitter: www.twitter.com/algore
Nice ideas.
Now, get off your duff and ENDORSE NUCLEAR POWER, the only known large-scale source of CO2-free power. DOE has estimated that eventually wind and solar will supply 30% of US power requirements, and something else has to produce the other 70% . . . unless and until the new Magical Mystery Fuel is discovered, that's gonna be oil, natural gas, coal, or nuclear.
To replace all of our existing electrical supply with nuclear (including replacing old plants) we need to build about 500 nuclear power plants. To replace gasoline and diesel and heating oil and natural gas we need to build maybe 500 more.
At one a year, that'll take 500 years.
At one a month, about eighty, ninety years.
We haven't built a new nuke in what, forty years?
You guys have identified the problem. But you're allergic to the solution.
Yes, and if you look at the climate and sea level history, you may be surprised to discover that sea level has already risen more than 400 feet in the last ten thousand years, as 99% of the glaciers on earth have melted . . . all before the 20th century.
Global Warming happens about every 100,000 years, in between the long Ice Ages.
Oh look - another "hockey stick", and this one with respect to sea levels:
"Since [late 19th century], sea level has risen at... the steepest century-scale increase of the past two millennia."
---------------------------------
Climate Related Sea-Level Variations Over the Past Two Millennia
We present new sea-level reconstructions for the past 2100 y[ears] based on salt-marsh sedimentary sequences from the US Atlantic coast. The data from North Carolina reveal four phases of persistent sea-level change after correction for glacial isostatic adjustment. Sea level was stable from at least BC 100 until AD 950. Sea level then increased for 400 y at a rate of 0.6 mm/y, followed by a further period of stable, or slightly falling, sea level that persisted until the late 19th century. Since then, sea level has risen at an average rate of 2.1 mm/y, representing the steepest century-scale increase of the past two millennia.
http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2011/06/13/1015619108.full.pdf
http://www.realclimate.org/images//Kemp_sealevel_20111.png
---------------------------------
Thomas Pain: "Global Warming happens about every 100,000 years, in between the long Ice Ages."
Q. Why can't science deniers understand the very simple concept of multiple causation?
A. Because they are science deniers, of course.
That said I am not a greenie in the sense that others are wanting coal fired power stations eradicated. New technologies cleans most of the flue gas, we do not have smokers like in the 40s, plus they are usually out of sight of the high population areas. It would be nice to have newer renewable sources introduced but the demand on demand when you flick a light switch, only fossil fired and nuclear stations guarantee that. Furthermore, greenies protesting and arriving in SUVs, well no one take you serious.
A simple cost saving is a timer on your water heater/boiler, what is the point of having hot water when you do not need it? I have reduced my bill by 30% for over 10 years by only having the hot water when we need it. We are spoiled brats expecting everything ON DEMAND.
It saves a bundle on energy costs, just like your method does.
Another one is Al Gore. His family made their money through Occidental Petroleum and Pasminco Zinc, a zinc mine of Gore's Carthage Tenn property. Mr. Gore had success that eluded President Harding, he arranged for Occidental Petroleum to purchase the Elk Hills petroleum field near Bakersfield Calif. from the US Navy. Ordinarily, the Department of Energy would do the assessment of it's value, but Mr. Gore arranged for IFC Kaiser to do the job. It's CEO was Tony Coelho, Gore's former campaign chairperson. Naturally, Occidental Petroleum doubled it's revenue after the purchase, Mr. Gore's stock holding did just fine too.
Amusing in it's crass hypocrisy.
Gotta admire Gore for his success, proving the adage, 'You can fool some of the people all of the time.'
If in fact you ARE talking about a previous Mr. Gore I call BS on your claim of hypocrasy. Just because that's how someone made their money in the past doesn't mean their children have to be held to blame for it? Besides, what's he using his money for now...to help the environment.
President Harding had a scandal called Teapot Dome.
The fact that Occidental Petroleum tripled their oil reserves when they acquired Elk Hills and Al Gore owning $500,000 worth of Occidental Petroleum should have had a federal prosecutor take a serious look at that.
I don't use Al Gore's Sr.'s anti civil rights positions, Mr. Gore Sr. was one of the fiercest opponents of civil rights legislation when he was a Senator upon Al Gore Jr., I didn't blame his son for that mistake, never have, never will.
The fact remains, Al Gore Jr. still owns Occidental Petroleum stock AFAIK, I've looked around the net to see if I can find references to his selling of those shares, I can't, so I must assume (I'm willing to change my mind if presented with solid evidence) he still owns them.
Here's an article trying to defend Mr. Gore saying his ties to Occidental Petroleum are 'old news.' Maybe so, do we stick our heads in the sand like an ostrich and ignore the past if it's inconvenient?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/elliott-negin/david-brooks-and-charles-_b_2053272.html
No, Joe Moore... Al Gore is using the environment to make his money.
Long Island Express, New York and New England, 1938
Great Labor Day Storm, Florida, 1935
Hurricane Audrey, Texas and Louisiana, 1957
Great Miami Hurricane, Florida, 1926
Grand Isle Hurricane, New Orleans, 1909
Atlantic Gulf Hurricane, Florida and Gulf Coast, 1919
New Orleans Hurricane, 1915
Galveston Hurricane, Texas, 1915
What does it all mean?!.()
With much respect to Gore, my point is this...
The face of "climate change" is the Democratic nominee for President in one of the most ploarizing elections in history. This means any argument Gore makes about climate change, no matter how valid, is seen as partisan bias rhetoric by half of the electorate.
Because Gore is at the center of climate change, it's easier for Fox News, Drudge, World Net and all of the other right wing chorus to get people to believe the "conspiracy" rhetoric because they dislike the messenger.
This said, I believe climate change is real. I always have. I just wish we could get this out of the partisan arena and into reality.
Nearly impossible, until the next (smarter) generation takes over.
The fact that he comes off as ridiculously apologetic for partisan Obama with the "altitude" nonsense, just makes it smack all the more of insincerity.