For my 700th post: a great LTTE in our paper from yesterday

[Caoimhe]

WE WILL PAY FOR GLOBAL WARMING
By Dr. Glenn Petry


In April, I wrote an editorial about the enormous future costs of global warming. I warned specifically of the dangers from hurricanes and rising waters, and of the resulting costs "for storm damage, business losses, sea levies, raising docks/piers, relocation of communities, insurance subsidies, loans beach restoration, and losses to farmers, fisherman, foresters, and also all sorts of resorts (including skiing)." I also warned of staggering class action lawsuits and more aid requests. The extreme costs of global warming are predictable with continuing disasters like the destruction of the Gulf Coast and New Orleans. Let's examine what has happened since April.


1. The 26 named Atlantic tropical storms this year have exceeded the previous record by five. The average during the past decade has almost doubled from the previous 25 years. The problem will intensify as burning coal alone is producing 100 billion tons of carbon dioxide annually.


2. Total insured losses this year of $47.2 billion were more than twice the previous record. The U.S. government has already pledged $62 billion with more dollars likely to fix the faulty levees installed by the Corps of Engineers. A class action lawsuit seems probable. The clean-up cost of the toxic brew of major oil leaks - 350,000 submerged vehicles, chemicals, bacteria, gasoline, and 20 million tons of debris from Katrina - will run into tens of billions of dollars.

<snip>

To convince the world and especially underdeveloped countries about the severity of the problem, we need national leadership from the president and Congress. Global warming is a far more serious and expensive problem than terrorism. The lack of leadership by President Bush and most of the Republican party should be of great concern and embarrassment to every American. What is Bush's response? He finally admitted that global warming is occurring. However, the U.S. will have missed eight years of critical leadership for its most pressing problem. A compassionate Christian conservative, as Bush claims to be, would not have passed $10.7 billion tax packages for an energy industry with record profits and left the global warming mess to future worldwide generations who will pay for it in taxes, loss of jobs and homes and diminished lifestyle changes. Bush's most enduring legacy will be his global warming failure and the ensuing worldwide economic/social/political damage. I hope you will join me in electing only leaders of both parties (including Republicans such as John McCain) who recognize and act on the seriousness of global warming.

Here's the whole letter:
http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051229/OPIN01/512290303/1032/OPIN&nav_category=

[I Have A Dream]

1. Great 700th post, Caoimhe. n/t