New Orleans is about to be hit by an enormous hurricane, the highlight so far of an unusually active hurricane season. Meanwhile, Americans keep buying SUVs...
Monday, August 29, 2005
No connection, no connection
Posted by
Idiot/Savant
at
8/29/2005 11:15:00 AM
Labels:
Climate Change,
USA
14 comments:
Yes, they'd tip over so much more easily than a regular car in a hurricane...
:oD
Posted by Blair : 8/29/2005 11:22:00 AM
do you have a point regarding SUV's, or are you just stupid? Do you realise that the price of gas is less than $1NZ per litre in the US, even with dramatic price increases recently?
Posted by Anonymous : 8/29/2005 12:28:00 PM
Anon: Think "greenhouse gases". The largest greenhouse emitter on the planet is about to be hit by a mega-storm which is part of a greenhouse-induced trend to more extreme weather events. It could almost be described as poetic justice - except that people are going to lose their homes, livelihoods, and even lives.
Posted by Idiot/Savant : 8/29/2005 12:45:00 PM
The irony is of course that a good whack of America's oil production is down there.
You think Mother Nature is proving a point?
Posted by Muerk : 8/29/2005 04:21:00 PM
How nice of you to express so much sympathy in your post.
Posted by Aaron Bhatnagar : 8/29/2005 05:17:00 PM
Aaron has a point. Having just looked at news articles, it's going to do massive damage. The poor can't leave and many are just going to try and ride it out. Given it's a catgory 5, that's pretty much a death wish.
Posted by Muerk : 8/29/2005 05:36:00 PM
To be fair, America deserves its fair share of natural disasters. Especially as they are one of the countries that can most afford it. However, trivialisation of human suffering is cruel at best. May I suggest, Mr Idiot/Savant that you consider how outraged you would be if an American posted a comment saying New Zealand deserved to be flooded because our cows produce too much CO2, before you begin making insulting generalisations.
Posted by Miss Fit : 8/29/2005 10:03:00 PM
If you want to check out what's happening, wikipedia is an excellent source (as always).
Or you could check out a more personal view.
Posted by David Cauchi : 8/29/2005 10:38:00 PM
Muerk: That's why I said "almost". I can't help but recognise the element of the US carbon pollution coming back to bite it in the arse, in a diffuse, difficult to pin down kind of way - but I'm not very keen on suffering, and the people who are going to suffer most will be the people who can least afford to do so.
Miss Fit: we are more likely to be flooded due to global warming (at least on the west coast - on the east, we're going to have droughts instead) - and we've contributed our bit to it (though nowhere near as massively as larger countries). Unlike the United States, however, we are attempting to solve our emissions problem - because by doing so, we're also helping to make life easier in the long term for ourselves, our neighbours, and even Americans.
Posted by Idiot/Savant : 8/29/2005 11:56:00 PM
I must admit to being keen to see the price of oil keep rising because it will mean that business will look to using it more efficiently because it suddenly becomes economic to do so.
I'd much rather see a reduction in oil use, than have it cheap and available. The west is too hungry on energy (and China's going that way too).
Posted by Muerk : 8/30/2005 08:27:00 AM
How sad. Do you think the Americans are as pathetic as you lot and wishing death and destruction because NZers might vote in somebody they don't agree with?
Don't get all cute and say it's because you don't like the cars they drive... it's because you are still crying over Bush WINNING yet again.
Posted by Just my opinion : 8/30/2005 11:56:00 PM
Real nice NRT. Do you remember the right celebrating when Iran was hit by an Earthquake? No, that's because even the 'great satin' was busy sending relief. I don't agree with you about virtually anything but usually you at least argue your points. This is just pathetic.
GPT
Posted by Anonymous : 9/01/2005 05:38:00 PM
Heine, winning and cheating are not the same thing.
Posted by Anonymous : 9/01/2005 08:11:00 PM
There is some excellent coverage of this on Salon.com. Analysis of issues around preparation for this disaster, the current Federal Administration's role in failing to protect New Orleans despite strong warnings and also a suggestion that this hurricane is not a result of man-made global warning. The damage and loss is worse than it would have been if development in such fragile areas was more limited. There are some places people really shouldn't be developing...
Posted by Anonymous : 9/02/2005 12:24:00 PM
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