The Majority Rules: The Area of Louisiana That the US Will Forfeit...Life Has A Price

[alon504]

Where is the area that the US will not protect because it is too expensive and who lives there? As voted on this board, and with decision makers in Washington....This is the area that we can call goodbye...this area is part of history. Levee protection has been denied and we can tell one small part of Amercian culture a sad goodbye. Nature has won the war.....

http://www.plaqueminesparish.com/Visitors.php#about

[monsoon]

Well you can't hold back the ocean not matter how much it is tried. You will end up failing. As the seas continue to rise and stormes become more fearce in the coming years due to global warming, this will become an issue for more cities.

This is a just decision.

[alon504]

Well you can't hold back the ocean not matter how much it is tried. You will end up failing. As the seas continue to rise and stormes become more fearce in the coming years due to global warming, this will become an issue for more cities.

This is a just decision.

Actually, I tend to agree...reality is, the Earth, nature, and the universe (for that matter), goes in cycles, and whether people want to believe it or not...we've got about 500 to 700 years left, and humankind will begin the cycle of elimination through acts of nature, disease, and global warming...then we'll pop back up in another 50000 or so years. Kinda makes all of the excitement of new tall buildings disappear...we'll all be gone by then anyway. At least now, we can see how we must forfeit, and how the process is beginning...it will only grow. Earthquakes will destroy St. Louis, San Francisco, and Reno...an overdue cat 5 hurricane will destroy Manhatten in our lifetimes, a rash of tornadoes here and there every year will inundate the Midwest with more severe weather, drought and forest fires will inevitably take care of much of Texas, Oklahoma, N. Georgia, the Carolinas, and Southern Virginia....the future does look bleak and we can't fight it...

[Phizzy]

Earthquakes will destroy St. Louis, San Francisco, and Reno...an overdue cat 5 hurricane will destroy Manhatten in our lifetimes, a rash of tornadoes here and there every year will inundate the Midwest with more severe weather, drought and forest fires will inevitably take care of much of Texas, Oklahoma, N. Georgia, the Carolinas, and Southern Virginia....the future does look bleak and we can't fight it...

That's one reason I live in Michigan...

[Recchia]

Interesting Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are all in the 0-3 range as well. I would have thought that they'd be higher.

[CtownMikey]

Actually, I tend to agree...reality is, the Earth, nature, and the universe (for that matter), goes in cycles, and whether people want to believe it or not...we've got about 500 to 700 years left, and humankind will begin the cycle of elimination through acts of nature, disease, and global warming...then we'll pop back up in another 50000 or so years. Kinda makes all of the excitement of new tall buildings disappear...we'll all be gone by then anyway. At least now, we can see how we must forfeit, and how the process is beginning...it will only grow. Earthquakes will destroy St. Louis, San Francisco, and Reno...an overdue cat 5 hurricane will destroy Manhatten in our lifetimes, a rash of tornadoes here and there every year will inundate the Midwest with more severe weather, drought and forest fires will inevitably take care of much of Texas, Oklahoma, N. Georgia, the Carolinas, and Southern Virginia....the future does look bleak and we can't fight it...

Pretty sure that NYC and north will not be seeing a cat 5 hurricane until water temperatures rise significantly. If Cat 5 made its way from Florida, it would quickly turn into Category 3 or 2 after an hour or two of being here due to the temp. change in water. It basically dies down much faster than it would in the Gulf or anywhere where the water is warm.

I've only read this online somewhere but it makes sense

[Cotuit]

Pretty sure that NYC and north will not be seeing a cat 5 hurricane until water temperatures rise significantly. If Cat 5 made its way from Florida, it would quickly turn into Category 3 or 2 after an hour or two of being here due to the temp. change in water. It basically dies down much faster than it would in the Gulf or anywhere where the water is warm.

I've only read this online somewhere but it makes sense

NYC would be in for some serious sh!t if it took a direct hit from a category 2 or 3. It doesn't need to be a 5. As the water warms, and it has already, stronger storms willl reach further north. What happens north of say, the NC Outer Banks, is that storms speed up, so while they are moving over cooler waters and weakening, they are moving fast, so there's not a lot of time for them to weaken. A 3+ can certainly reach us, and aside from Bob in 91, we haven't seen anything big since '54, when Downcity Providence looked much like New Orleans did last August.

[richyb83]

The storm surge caused by fast-moving Cat.#3 Hurricane for Manhattan could be epic . Long Island and Jersey's coastline form a 45-degree angle directly into Lower Bay and Upper Bay; causing a funnel-effect caused by direction of the wind and surge .

[hood]

Actually, I tend to agree...reality is, the Earth, nature, and the universe (for that matter), goes in cycles, and whether people want to believe it or not...we've got about 500 to 700 years left, and humankind will begin the cycle of elimination through acts of nature, disease, and global warming...then we'll pop back up in another 50000 or so years. Kinda makes all of the excitement of new tall buildings disappear...we'll all be gone by then anyway. At least now, we can see how we must forfeit, and how the process is beginning...it will only grow. Earthquakes will destroy St. Louis, San Francisco, and Reno...an overdue cat 5 hurricane will destroy Manhatten in our lifetimes, a rash of tornadoes here and there every year will inundate the Midwest with more severe weather, drought and forest fires will inevitably take care of much of Texas, Oklahoma, N. Georgia, the Carolinas, and Southern Virginia....the future does look bleak and we can't fight it...

Ummm, I don't think humans are going anywhere, at least not at mother natures hands. The only thing that really has the power to completely destroy us is ourselves. We are in a relatively quiet period, there aren't to many major disasters and no major conflicts. Times will definately get worse, they already are, but you have to remember that for most of recorded history, there has been good times, they have to end someday. But i don't think humans will come close to being wiped out by natural disasters, unless were hit by an astroid. I think that the only way humans would be wiped out is by either an astroid or a nuclear war, I think we can make it through pretty much anything else.

[alon504]

Ummm, I don't think humans are going anywhere, at least not at mother natures hands. The only thing that really has the power to completely destroy us is ourselves. We are in a relatively quiet period, there aren't to many major disasters and no major conflicts. Times will definately get worse, they already are, but you have to remember that for most of recorded history, there has been good times, they have to end someday. But i don't think humans will come close to being wiped out by natural disasters, unless were hit by an astroid. I think that the only way humans would be wiped out is by either an astroid or a nuclear war, I think we can make it through pretty much anything else.

Not global warming (if this is occurring). Some blame the hurricanes on global warming, but, this a typical pattern...these types of hurricanes occurred in the US in the '50's and '60's, and in the 20's and 30's..it's a cycle, as meteorologists see it now.

[dimebag1980]

Not global warming (if this is occurring). Some blame the hurricanes on global warming, but, this a typical pattern...these types of hurricanes occurred in the US in the '50's and '60's, and in the 20's and 30's..it's a cycle, as meteorologists see it now.

I believe it's a natural cycle, and to be quite honest I have never bought into the theory of global warming, as this planet regularly goes through cycles. The current cycle we're in with hurricanes will eventually end. In the meantime, however, we're going to experience some major losses at the hands of nature; it's inevitable, but in the end it's simply part of a natural cycle that we hadn't truly prepared ourselves for.

[krazeeboi]

Actually, I tend to agree...reality is, the Earth, nature, and the universe (for that matter), goes in cycles, and whether people want to believe it or not...we've got about 500 to 700 years left, and humankind will begin the cycle of elimination through acts of nature, disease, and global warming...then we'll pop back up in another 50000 or so years.

What do you mean by this?

[alon504]

What do you mean by this?

It's not known on this board, but, other boards I post on know that I'm a life-long amateur weather follower. I've been doing it since I was a very young child and frequently communicate with top weather officials all over the US, but, mainly the SE through emails and IM's. I'm not sold on global warming, but, if it is occurring, at the rate some are saying is occurring right now, the Earth will cleanse itself of much through unreal natural occurrences. Like I said, it won't occur in our lifetimes. Even an average 5 degree rise, worldwide, would devastate humankind on our planet, and would render the economy, as we know it, completely useless.

[KRC]

It's not known on this board, but, other boards I post on know that I'm a life-long amateur weather follower. I've been doing it since I was a very young child and frequently communicate with top weather officials all over the US, but, mainly the SE through emails and IM's. I'm not sold on global warming, but, if it is occurring, at the rate some are saying is occurring right now, the Earth will cleanse itself of much through unreal natural occurrences. Like I said, it won't occur in our lifetimes. Even an average 5 degree rise, worldwide, would devastate humankind on our planet, and would render the economy, as we know it, completely useless.

Same here...I've also done quite a bit of study on the topic and have followed several research paths on the topic of global warming. Global warming most certainly is occuring and man's activity most definately is a contributing factor, it's a question of to what degree. The Earth does and has gone through cycles of warming and cooling. This time though, the warming is much more pronounced than anything the planet has ever experienced and we can actually see how pollution is leaving it's footprint over the entire planet. There is increasing proof of this. Core drilling of Arctic and Antarctic ice sheilds alone are quite revealing. Instead of just doubting it, I wish someone would come up with a verifiable hypothesis proving we aren't a contributing factor or that the alarms starting to go off are just hype. I haven't seen one to date. One person that comes to mind is a loudmouth idiot from a private weather supplier who tends to be more wrong than right on a lot of what he forecasts. How in the world can you take someone like that seriously?

[krazeeboi]

It's not known on this board, but, other boards I post on know that I'm a life-long amateur weather follower. I've been doing it since I was a very young child and frequently communicate with top weather officials all over the US, but, mainly the SE through emails and IM's. I'm not sold on global warming, but, if it is occurring, at the rate some are saying is occurring right now, the Earth will cleanse itself of much through unreal natural occurrences. Like I said, it won't occur in our lifetimes. Even an average 5 degree rise, worldwide, would devastate humankind on our planet, and would render the economy, as we know it, completely useless.

I was questioning the "cycle of elimination" for humans and our subsequent "popping back." Are you saying that our species will go extinct and then somehow "re-evolve"?

[alon504]

I was questioning the "cycle of elimination" for humans and our subsequent "popping back." Are you saying that our species will go extinct and then somehow "re-evolve"?

Probably so...you're getting deep and it is another thread for another forum, but, who's to say it hasn't happened before???

[hood]

Humans currently live in greatly varied climates, unlike other species we can live anywhere, whether it's a desert or antartica or a rain forrest, we can even make it in space. A 5 degree temperature difference would not, by any means, cause an extinction of the human race. It may change where and how we live, and it may hurt or destroy the economy temporarily, but even if it where to suddenly happen tomorrow I'm confident we could make it.

[krazeeboi]

Probably so...you're getting deep and it is another thread for another forum, but, who's to say it hasn't happened before???

No I'm not "getting deep," I'm merely questioning the scientific basis for such an assumption--and there appears to be none.

Humans are certainly an invasive species, but from a scientific perspective, over 99% of species that have ever existed are now extinct. That's humbling.

[monsoon]

Well at this point global warming, which does exist, is not a human extinction event. However it is going to have a major impact on coastal cities and cities that are subject to damage to hurricanes. (This includes places such as Asheville, NC which is several hundred miles from the coast @ 3000+ ft above sea level).

One only has to look at the poles to see vast evidence the earth is warming up. The north polar ice mass is considerably smaller than it was even in 1979 and the Inuits, who have lived in the area for thousand's of years, claim there is nothing like it in their history. And there is danger that polar bears may become extinct as they can only hunt from the ice which is disappearing. Amateur weather forecasters who deny this are not living in reality.

And while the Bush administration has actively quashed reports from our own scientists on global warming, the UK's chief scientific adviser has said that global warming is a reality. You can read more about it here. I am sure when more cities are being flooded out, there will be people standing in the flood waters denying there is no global warming.

[hood]

Nobody is saying the Earth isn't getting warmer, they are arguing if it is natural or man-made. I beleive the Earth does go in cycles and the current warming is partially caused by that, but I beleive that humans have exagerated and accelerated the cycle by a lot. I've heard that humans have accelerated the warming process by 10 to 100 times, depending on who you talk to. I'm not even so sure that a warmer Earth is so terrible anyways, it will take some adjustment, but if the earth were to get as warm as it did in the dinosaur's times I think that it could be a good thing. Imagine not having to deal with a winter, or at least it would be a very mild winter everywhere. I guess thats looking very far down the road though.

[monsoon]

Do you think it is a good idea for millions of species of plants animals and insects to become extinct due to the elimination of winter? I don't as nobody knows what this would do to the ecology of the planet.

And there are plenty of people, such as myself, that enjoy the 4 seasons. I have lived in S. Fla where there is no winter, and it gets really boring after a while.

[Cotuit]

Humans currently live in greatly varied climates, unlike other species we can live anywhere, whether it's a desert or antartica or a rain forrest, we can even make it in space. A 5 degree temperature difference would not, by any means, cause an extinction of the human race. It may change where and how we live, and it may hurt or destroy the economy temporarily, but even if it where to suddenly happen tomorrow I'm confident we could make it.

A 5 degree temperature rise would not be a minor hiccup, it would be more than an inconvenience to the stock exchange. It would lead to widespread crop failure and famine. The resulting rise in sea level would result in hundreds of millions (probably billions) of refugees, many tens of millions right here in the United States. It would spell the end of our civilization as we know, perhaps not a bad thing when you think about it though.

Imagine not having to deal with a winter, or at least it would be a very mild winter everywhere. I guess thats looking very far down the road though.

Is the price worth the convenience of not having to shovel your driveway? You could just move to Florida if winter really bums you out that much.

[Cadeho]

That's one reason I live in Michigan...

Wait until the next ice age! You'll be running from the glaciers! Running I tell ya!

And I think someone on this site's been watching a little too much It Could Happen Tomorrow.

[dimebag1980]

Nobody is saying the Earth isn't getting warmer, they are arguing if it is natural or man-made.

This is actually my viewpoint on it. I don't doubt the obvious fact that the Earth is getting warmer, but I do doubt the extent to which some seem to believe humans are responsible. The issue called "global warming" is typically referred to as warming of the Earth as caused by humans. When you hear the mainstream media talking about global warming, they're almost always blaming humans.

I've read studies on both sides of the issue, and in my opinion neither side has me completely sold. Both sides make good points but neither is entirely conclusive. So what if the Earth is warming at a faster rate than during any other historical warming cycle? Is that enough information to conclude, with certainty, that humans are contributing to this? Not the way I see it; I see it as something to consider, but the fact remains that while the Earth does go through cycles, those cycles are never exactly the same.

Remember the hype about the "hole in the ozone layer" that we heard about all throughout the 80s? It was eventually determined that it wasn't a constant thing but rather seasonal. Before that was determined to be true, scientists all over were certain that the ozone layer was depleting away rapidly and the doomsdayers and environmentalists were having a heyday with it.

I'm by no means closed-minded, but until someone can prove to me conclusively that humans are to blame for the warming of the Earth, I will continue to believe it's merely a passing cycle.

[KRC]

Remember the hype about the "hole in the ozone layer" that we heard about all throughout the 80s? It was eventually determined that it wasn't a constant thing but rather seasonal. Before that was determined to be true, scientists all over were certain that the ozone layer was depleting away rapidly and the doomsdayers and environmentalists were having a heyday with it.

I'm by no means closed-minded, but until someone can prove to me conclusively that humans are to blame for the warming of the Earth, I will continue to believe it's merely a passing cycle.

The hole in the ozone is still a grave concern, it's still getting bigger and it is possing a grave threat to us. Just ask anyone living in Australia, New Zeland and now South Africa. I think the problem here is that it's not a top headline story on news snipits so everyone thinks it was just hype. Dive into the topic a bit and you'll see that the story has continued on with the grave effects stated then actually occurring. The fact that this appears to have been a passing story is because Americans are too busy hating each other and blaming everyone except themselves for everything to really be interested in the truth.

I agree with you that more information may need to be made public, but why should anyone have to prove anything to you? Don't wait for someone else to do the leg work so you can armchair doubt it without doing any of the homework yourself. Take a look draw your own conclusion based on what you find. You may be right. (I'm challenging you, not moking you here. Sometimes written communication loses it's meaning without face-to-face contact.)