It has
finally happened. Climate change has
become a part of the American conversation.
How many lives have been lost?
How many homes and businesses have been damaged or destroyed? The tornadoes, hurricanes, droughts and
wildfires have cost billions of dollars.
But it appears to me the degree of acceptance of global warming is commensurate
with the degree our individual lives and routines have been affected. Without thinking about it, I can think of
three times the transportation systems in New York City have come to a
standstill, second to weather. It would
be hard to find an adult American that cannot recall any natural
disasters. All religious feeling aside,
we have had to cope with horrendous conditions.
Together with the lost of working hours, the lost of pay and the
numerous difficulties brought about by these
natural disasters, Americans have included natural disasters in our
memories. Americans
are primed to discussion global warming.
What further damages have
to occur before we sit down and develop contingency plans for natural disasters
that include backup systems? (An
example of a backup item would be the ability to deploy large portable power
generators built to substitute for the regular systems for up to four weeks.) In NYC I have BLOGGED about the folly of
building an MTA transportation HUB in zone A or near zone A. The Federal money that will be used to
accomplish that might better serve NY and NJ if a barrier reef system were to
be built. What are you ideas? What other ways can we become proactive with
the expectation of future natural disasters?
By continuing this conversation, you are helping the public to move
toward prevention, mitigation and the production of backup systems.
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