By Staff
Global warming shouldn't come as a surprise
Over the past year, residents of Florida and Alabama have become all-too-familiar with preparing for the next deadly hurricane approaching the coast.
While hurricanes have been a part of life here since the beginning of time, many have wondered why they have occurred with such frequency, and with much more destructive tendencies, over the past year.
A study released this week suggests that global warming has played a factor in the uncharacteristically violent hurricane seasons found in recent years.
The study found that a rise in ocean temperature and in overall global temperature over the last 30 years has greatly contributed to the strength and frequency of the last two hurricane seasons.
This news is obviously quite alarming, but shouldn't come as a surprise. Our continued reliance on polluting materials as a means of energy (oil, coal, etc.) has damaged our atmosphere greatly since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution. Study after study has shown the damage to the ozone, to the water supply, to wildlife, and to children.
However, our government has been in bed with energy companies for far too long, and shows no sign of letting up.
A recent energy bill passed by President Bush provides for billions of dollars in tax cuts for energy companies, but no tax incentives to develop alternative forms of energy. The only unusual provision is the proposal to extend daylight savings time by a month to alleviate energy costs.
One wonders what happened to Mr. Bush's proposal for the development of hydrogen-powered cars in his 2003 State of the Union address, or the several dozen times he has paid lip-service to finding alternative energy sources.
What people fail to grasp is how important finding an alternative energy source is not just to the survival of our environment, but also to the War on Terror.
Many of our enemies are funded by nations in the Middle East who derive their money from oil, and our current infatuation with gas-guzzling SUVs is doing nothing to empty their pocketbooks.
While finding an alternative energy source is no sure-fire way to end global terrorism, a loss of funds that significant would certainly nearly cripple terror organizations planning massive operations like those seen in the September 11 attacks.
As gas prices continue to rise, finding another source of energy should be first and foremost on the minds of everyone, not just scientists.