Remembering Katrina: Time to Redouble Efforts to Restore Gulf Coast, Pass a Climate Bill

This past weekend marked the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. This catastrophic storm and its aftermath took more than 1,000 lives, displaced more than one million residents and wiped out hundreds of square miles of coastal land. Five years later, New Orleans is still recovering from the disaster, a recovery now compounded by the millions of gallons of oil that spewed into the Gulf as a result of the explosion on BP's Deepwater Horizon rig, wreaking havoc on an already devastated coastal economy.

While no particular storm or weather event can be blamed on global warming, science has shown that global warming is indeed causing more frequent and more intense hurricanes. And be it from friendly coasts or hostile nations, our dependence on oil continues to pose a serious threat to our economy, our security and our environment. Yet we still do not have a national energy strategy to significantly cut dangerous carbon pollution, combat the worst impacts of global warming and reduce our addiction to oil.

The fact is we can help prevent these disasters from happening, by transitioning away from our unhealthy addiction to oil and other fossil fuels and moving towards a clean energy economy that creates jobs, makes America more energy independent and reduces the risk of catastrophes like the ones the Gulf Coast has experienced.

But this summer, as oil giant BP moved to contain the millions of gallons of oil spewing in to the Gulf of Mexico, the U.S. Senate was unable to act on a comprehensive energy and climate bill that would reduce the risk of future man-made disasters and provide America with safer, cleaner energy alternatives.

The Senate's inaction makes it clear that we must ensure that the EPA maintains the authority to regulate carbon pollution and hold corporate polluters accountable. But equally important, we need more environmental leaders in Congress who will stand up to the corporate polluters who have been blocking energy reform for far too long. Whether it's defeating Roy "Big Oil" Blunt in the Missouri Senate race or re-electing a champion like Barbara Boxer in California, this year's midterm elections are critical to putting America back in control of our energy future.

So as we remember the tragedy and aftermath that Hurricane Katrina wrought five years ago, we must redouble our efforts to restore New Orleans and the Gulf Coast -- and continue pushing for strong climate policies by first working to elect leaders this November who fight for and implement such policies.