Although New Orleans residents were grateful for the relative impacts from Gustav, the victims of Governor Riley’s decision to order wholesale evacuations from the coast are less likely to be so forgiving. The danger, of course, is the predictable complacency that will be a factor in the next one.
We need more resilient systems as well as continued improvement in the models. 110 people died in the evacuation of Houston in 2005 (Rita).
The public hearing yesterday was awe-inspiringly predictable. It ranged from the lady that thought we could survive, apparently forever, on Alabama-produced natural gas and therefore the terminal was unnecessary - to the parade of various business interests that have made plans based on its forever availability.
Uncertainty about the consequences remains at an all-time high. There is no doubt that we will lose fish for energy - the question is whether it will induce a catastrophic collapse of a fishery teetering somewhere between economic extinction and tedious recovery.
Pressure on both sides of the offshore oil question is building dramatically, particularly because of the presidential campaign. The column addresses the reality from an environmental perspective - perhaps surprising to many. The real problem with increased drilling is the temporary distraction that it provides in the necessity for developing hydrocarbon independence.
Sportsfolk all over the country love the Bass Pro Shops for their supplies and the spectacular displays that have made them tourist attractions for non-sportsters. But the newest edition at Spanish Fort demonstrates zero regard for any concept of conservation of habitat - and it further insults our intelligence by hiding behind a cloak of new urban planning by trying to disguise itself as a “town center”. The Mobile Bay community should boycott their opening party to send them a message! Yeah - right - like that will happen!
The column tries to argue that we must abandon water disposal of waste because we are overwhelming the capacity of the natural system and progressively destroying our second-most necessary resource (after air)
Almost no one reported the quote from Dr. James Hansen last week but hours were dedicated to the “pregnancy pact”. Meanwhile people continue to listen to Glen Beck and Rush Limbaugh lionize the rare scientist that continues to challenge specific aspects of the climate change controversy! My brother-in-law who listens incessantly to both made my day by proudly announcing that Rush had just signed a $400M broadcasting deal - that should keep him in painkillers and adequately deluded.
Because of local “sensitivity” - pro-life vs. pro-choice, population growth is a touchy subject. Even the bravest of commentators is cautious about entering the fray, but the truth remains that our resource base is finite. While global warming (believe it or not) can be linked very easily to population size, it seems quite likely that we will somehow manage to self-destruct as a species long before the humidity gets us!
Almost everyone that hears that fishermen have been trying to lure sharks into shallow water think it’s possibly the dumbest thing they ever heard of. I think such fishermen should have to fish standing in the water up their waist. Let’s make it a fair fight! The aggravation behind the story is that these presumably very few fisherfolk have objected vehemently to the idea that they should be prohibited from carrying out this stupid practice because it would be the beginning of the end of fishing as we know it. Stupid squared!
This week’s column makes a feeble attempt to shame Mobile County into beginning to think about a real stormwater management plan - like Baldwin County. But it’s also true that BC is throwing the baby out with the wash through unrrestrained development, both residential and commercial. The Bass Pro Shop is an awful example of the problems created - and this is an “outdoors” firm that profits directly from having clean water?
This week’s commentary raises the image of the downside of the expected economic boom for the region. I am suggesting that the region’s leadership may fail to provide the required planning to actually make the most of the current opportunities. The environmental consequences of rapid population growth coupled with a 1950s mentality toward managing that growth could seriously diminish our quality of life.