Turning Up The Heat

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently reduced the hurricane forecast for the remainder of the season. Instead of 13-16 named storms, there are now expected to be 12-15 of them. And instead of eight-ten full blown hurricanes, that estimate is now seven-nine.

Global warming naysayers have, of course, jumped all over this news as proof that everything is just fine, and that the liberal Al Gore crown is full of doo-doo.

Ah, but conservatives who continue to question the validity of the spherical Earth theory forget that we live on a big planet. And while things may seem hunky-dory along the east coast, they are not necessarily so wonderful elsewhere.

Case in point: How many Americans know that the typhoon season along the western Pacific has been MORE active than usual? How many of us care that Typhoon Bilis killed 600 people in southeastern China, or that Typhoon Prapiroon caused 80 deaths just last week? Has anyone in America noticed that Typhoon Saomai--packing winds of 160 mph--is again headed for southern China? And let's not pay any attention to Tropical Storm Bopha, which is hot on the heels of Saomai.

Our leaders in Washington need to realize that global warming is a--what's the word?--GLOBAL problem. Just because we may be getting off easy this year doesn't mean that the symptoms aren't manifesting themselves elsewhere.

And even if one does accept the idea that the reduced hurricane forecast is good news, what about the fact that this past July was the warmest in 70 years, and the second warmest on record? What about the 2300 heat records that were set across the nation? What about the recent study that predicts more frequent heatwaves in the future? What about all the glaciers that are disappearing around the world, something which has dire implications for water supplies and food production?

So what's the answer? What can mankind as a whole--or each of us as individuals--do before it's too late?

I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm going to go have a cold beer.




P.S.
Link added 6:15 A.M., Aug-10-06: The 20 warmest years on record.