We. Were. Warned.

[berni_mccoy]

In 2005, Al Gore made "An Inconvenient Truth".

The movie, based on his work of many years prior, made its National Debut.

Here are some key quotes:

"Now I’m going to show you, recently released, the actual ocean temperature. Of course when the oceans get warmer, that causes stronger storms. We have seen in the last couple of years, a lot of big hurricanes. Hurricanes Jean, Francis and Ivan were among them. In the same year we had that string of big hurricanes; we also set an all time record for tornadoes in the United States."

Story from Today:
"Real Cost of Storms"

And this: 60 Million People Affected By Storm; May Slow Economy

You warned us again about the rising Ocean and the impact it would have on people, the economy and the world. You said:

"Here is Manhattan. This is the World Trade Center Memorial Site. After the horrible events of 9/11 we said never again. But this is what would happen to Manhattan. They can measure this precisely, just as the scientists could predict precisely how much water would breech the levy in New Orleans. The area where the World Trade Center Memorial is to be located would be under water. Is it possible that we should prepare against other threats besides terrorists? Maybe we should be concerned about other problems as well."

And from today: "World Trade Center Flooded With 15-30 feet of Water"

Thank you Al Gore. You did warn us, even with Winston Churchill's words:

“The era of procrastination, of half measures, of soothing, and baffling expedience of delays is coming to its close. In its place we are entering a period of consequences.”

(photo from 2000 campaign, town hall meeting Amherst, NH)

Maybe some are getting it now (Today's Cover of Bloomberg Businessweek):

[polichick]

1. Yep - climate change is still an inconvenient truth, even for Dems.

[win_in_06]

2. Back in theatre$ for a limited engagement? n/t

[WorseBeforeBetter]

40. Rightwing fuckers attack Al Gore for making money.

You're in $hitty company.

[Maraya1969]

51. Can we do something to make that happen?

[win_in_06]

53. It would be a missed opportunity if it does NOT happen. n/t

[Junkdrawer]

3. The problem is getting so serious...

that I bet Oil Industry lobbyists are writing the Global Warming Remediation Bill of 2014 even as we speak.

[skygazer]

4. It's so frustrating

Sometimes I think the human race doesn't deserve to survive.

[FirstLight]

10. I know

it boggles the mind that we have made the collective choice to take the 'easy way' and continue using fossil fuels so rampantly. Think of all the years wasted, the research and money we could have used to make this change... instead we have oil companies who make more in a quarter than some COUNTRIES, and they don't HAVE to give back or re-invest any of that into finding alternative energies.
Honestly, I thought that the Deepwater Horizon fiasco would wake up the Govt and the people... but it seems that the Oil Lobby is too all powerful


this planet will be so much better off when it shakes us humans loose...

[goclark]

33. We are having so much FRACKING in Los Angeles

We are working 24/7 to stop the drilling because of all the damages done to the homes asnd land around it.

The Oil Company hired an " outside company" to see if they were to blame if even iit was just a tiny bit.

" Report" came back ---- " there was not ANY indication that the OIL COMPANY was at fault --" NADA!

They said that the earthquakes were to blame --- NOT!!!!!!

At a recent committee meeting attended by about 25 Residents representing the community, we were asked to raise our hand IF
any damage was done to your property during/after any EARTHQUAKE, during the time you have lived in that home.

Many of the homes were built in 1940's ---- of those present.
only 4 raised their hand -- the most damage that they recalled
was " PICTURE or two fell off the wall "

Now we know the " Big One " is coming but that is the current status.

[vlyons]

35. I still can't figure out why anyone would vote for Romney!

except race haters, of course.

[Whovian]

5. K&R

[LynneSin]

6. That list of costliest Atlantic Hurricanes is a bit outdated

And not just because Sandy isn't on there but it also doesn't have IRene


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_costliest_Atlantic_hurricanes

Billions Name Year
$108.0 Hurricane Katrina 2005
$55.0† Hurricane Sandy 2012
$37.6 Hurricane Ike 2008
$29.2 Hurricane Wilma 2005
$26.5 Hurricane Andrew 1992
$18.6 Hurricane Charley 2004
$18.1 Hurricane Ivan 2004
$16.6 Hurricane Irene 2011
$15.2 Hurricane Agnes 1972
$14.1 Hurricane Hugo 1989

[berni_mccoy]

12. Thanks for that.

I just snapped the image from the article. Glad there is a more up-to-date list and it's part of this thread now .

[LynneSin]

24. I was surprised that Tropical Storm Lee wasn't on there

That was a redux of Hurricane Agnes 40 years later but Lee was only 2 billion in damages.

[kenfrequed]

22. Hmm...

Are they already able to make an estimate for Sandy? Isn't it a bit premature to compare the initial estimate on Sandy to these others?

[LynneSin]

23. Not really, if anything it's probably lowball what the costs will be

Replacing the Jersey shore won't be cheap.

[kenfrequed]

65. Actually, that was what I was thinking

The numbers for Sandy did look a bit low to me.

[OnlinePoker]

57. Further down your link info changes a bit

The chart shows what damage past hurricanes would cost if they hit now due to build up in the coastal areas (as of 2005). I don't know how to get it to format correctly into columns:

Care should be taken not to confuse "economic impact" estimates (often used for modern hurricanes like Katrina) with damage costs; it is the latter that are included in this list (and in all hurricane articles). Note that these charts are only based on damage in the U.S.; the total in many of these storms is higher due to damage in the Caribbean, Central America, Mexico or Canada, but information for most storms that affected these areas is not consistently available except for very recent systems.

This list does not include any pre-1900 and post-2005 hurricanes. It is thus likely that some of these hurricanes would have caused multi-billion dollar damages, adjusted for today's wealth. For example, the 1893 Sea Islands hurricane is estimated to about $50 billion in costs if it would hit Georgia today.[40]

Name Year Cost at the time
(in billion USD) Inflation adjusted cost[41]
(in billion 2004 USD) Cost adjusted for wealth normalization[39]
(in billion 2005 USD)
Great Miami Hurricane 1926 0.1 2.58 157.0
Hurricane Katrina[1] 2005 108.0 108.0 108.0
Galveston Hurricane 1900 0.02 0.52 99.4
Galveston Hurricane 1915 0.05 0.92 68.0
Hurricane Andrew[2] 1992 11.5 44.9 55.8
New England Hurricane 1938 0.31 6.2 39.2
Pinar del Río Hurricane 1944 0.1 5.5 38.7
Okeechobee Hurricane 1928 0.1 1.4 33.6
Hurricane Donna 1960 0.9 3.1 26.8
Hurricane Camille 1969 1.42 9.1 21.2

[Uncle Joe]

7. A most excellent post.

Thanks for the thread, berni.

[slackmaster]

8. The warning for Hurricane Sandy came a whole lot earlier than that

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/26/long-island-hurricane-1821_n_938372.html

[antigone382]

27. Sure, hurricanes happen.

Two majorly destructive hurricanes in the North East in two consecutive years and in association with record breaking tornadic activity, droughts, floods, heat waves, wildfires, and glacial/arctic melt (and let's throw in sea level rise, too) does not happen, at least not without significant statistical implications linking this array of weather disasters to climate change, in a context of numerous well-understood human factors that are contributing to that climate change.

A lot of the factors that "fed" Sandy were by chance--climate change has nothing to do with when the tide comes in. Even so, reputable scientists have expressed that several factors converged to strengthen this storm, including warmer ocean temperatures and arctic sea ice melt.

[slackmaster]

39. My point is that the storm surge in NYC in 1821 was even higher than the one from Sandy

The city has had plenty of warning about how high the water can get. Sandy should have come as no surprise to anyone who studies weather seriously.

With climate change, that kind of storm will probably happen more often.

[Uncle Joe]

38. We were warned in 1958 in regards to the catastrophic dangers of global warming.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=1670341

[randome]

9. Like it or not, we need big business to recognize this.

BusinessWeek's cover is a good start.

[Zorra]

59. It may be some time before they recognize this ~ it will be when

the last tree has been cut down, after the last river has been poisoned, and after the last fish has been caught.

Only then will they finally understand that money cannot be eaten.



We're going to stop them from destroying the planet before it gets to that point

[Dont call me Shirley]

11. But I thought it was because of the gays

[WillyT]

13. K & R !!!

[Scuba]

14. But, but, but I heard on Fox that global warming is just a hoax to make Al Gore's friends rich.

[marions ghost]

15. Global Warming -- an evil lie spread by Libruls--OK to ignore it

[LuckyLib]

20. Just heard Limbaugh quoted this morning as saying it's a hoax.

We're just all so gullible!

[marions ghost]

29. When will Limbaull's peeps realize

the water is boiling and they're drowning?

Not surprised he's filling his listeners ears with cotton on this already.

[ErikJ]

16. And this from a month ago: 100 million to die by 2030 if world fails to act on climate

100 million to die by 2030 if world fails to act on climate
Thu, Sep 27 2012 http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/27/us-climate-inaction-idUSBRE88Q0ZJ20120927
By Nina Chestney
LONDON (Reuters) - More than 100 million people will die and the global economy will miss out on as much as 3.2 percent of its potential output annually by 2030 if the world fails to tackle climate change, a report commissioned by 20 governments said on Wednesday.
As global average temperatures rise due to greenhouse gas emissions, the effects on the planet, such as melting ice caps, extreme weather, drought and rising sea levels, will threaten populations and livelihoods, said the report conducted by humanitarian organization DARA.
It calculated that five million deaths occur each year from air pollution, hunger and disease as a result of climate change and carbon-intensive economies, and that toll would likely rise to six million a year by 2030 if current patterns of fossil fuel use continue.
More than 90 percent of those deaths will occur in developing countries, said the report that calculated the human and economic impact of climate change on 184 countries in 2010 and 2030. It was commissioned by the Climate Vulnerable Forum, a partnership of 20 developing countries threatened by climate change.
"A combined climate-carbon crisis is estimated to claim 100 million lives between now and the end of the next decade," the report said.

[malaise]

17. A superb post

Rec

[grasswire]

18. the "good" thing about Sandy is the new freedom to discuss climate science

I have heard it all over the news the last few days, and it is called "climate SCIENCE" by quite a few commentators.

We are going to see an overwhelming shift in public opinion. There's going to be a lot of anger at politicians, "opinion leaders", and at corporations who put profit above public good by not building infrastructure and redundancies.

[Gabby Hayes]

61. Amen! And good luck to Michael Mann in his defamation lawsuit.

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2012/10/24/1079601/climate-scientist-michael-mann-sues-the-national-review-and-competitive-enterprise-institute-for-defamation/?mobile=nc

[pscot]

66. Sandy has definitely changed the conversation

at least for now.

[Aldo Leopold]

19. Yes, we were warned. And are still being warned.

Over the past few years, though, the warnings have been harder to get across. Maybe Sandy will help bring this toward the front.

[caseymoz]

21. This year, after so many regions have been affected.

I mean the greatest part of the US suffered major drought this year. The southern area was already getting battered by hurricanes. Now that the urban areas on the East Coast have taken a major hit. That's enough regions that I think you're going to see public opinion turn. Will it happen fast enough? I have real concerns about that.

The only silver lining to this, and it's cold comfort: conservatives were on the utterly wrong side of this. The left is right again. Besides leaving us open to 9/11, ruining the economy, getting us into immoral, expensive and useless wars, and the fact that demographics is very much against them, I don't see how conservatives, or Republicans are going to survive at all.

I think conservative obstruction on Global Warming is going to be a hard one to sweep under the rug as the problem worsens.

[ProudProgressiveNow]

25. Quite a post!

Thank you.

[BlueStreak]

26. If Katrina cost $108 billion, how can anybody say Sandy is in the range of $50 billion?

It seems to me that Sandy hit a much denser population area.

[Brewinblue]

28. No Camille in 1969, no Betsy in 1965, no Galveston 1900, guess why?

This list is not adjusted for inflation, hence, it is useless.

[The Doctor.]

36. Very poor attempt.

Distracting with irrelevancies is also quite transparent.

The point of the list is that the vast majority of destructive hurricanes have occured in more recent years and at an increasing rate.

I agree that the list is flawed, but that does not take away from the reality it represents, in this case. If we were to adust for inflation, we would not get a proper representation of the power of the hurricanes anyhow. A Cat 5 could go through Arkansas and destroy everything in its path and still do less monetary damage than a Cat 2 hitting New York city.

That's why adjusting for inflation is kind of irrelevant.

I would have preferred they used the Saffir-Simpson scale instead. That would have put Galveston high on the list, but, again, it still doesn't change the fact that hurricanes are become more frequent and powerful.


Here's the real question though: Do you understand that humans have caused this warming/climate trend, or are you ignorant of the facts that prove we are?

[eggplant]

43. +1

Without adjusting for inflation, how can you compare a storm in 1900 and a storm in 2012?

[druidity33]

54. how much infrastructure

was there to destroy in 1900 compared to today?

[slackmaster]

67. There was plenty of infrastructure in Galveston in 1900 when the hurricane hit

[druidity33]

71. what i'm saying

is if that hurricane that hit Galveston hit today, it would destroy a lot more because there are more people and more stuff on the ground now.

[goclark]

30. Saw the excellent movie and we did not learn

the lesson.

At least the Democrats are open to the issue.

Thanks to Christie -- he gets it I am sure.

[grahamhgreen]

31. Time for a windfall profit tax on big oil to pay for their messes.

[Old and In the Way]

68. And a bill to Big Oil for services rendered.

How much of our defense budget is spent providing muscle for Big Oil's product marketing plan (filling up tankers in the ME)?

[grahamhgreen]

69. Agreed! We have to keep hammering htem about who is responsible, Pigpen...

[Old and In the Way]

70. That's all well and good.....

and I've learned at least 50% of the voting population are on the 'Ship of Fools. That said.....this is where my 60 YO head is at.....

[calimary]

32. SHARED. On Facebook. And I am now beginning to rub people's noses in it.

I don't often use the word "right" anymore - because its meaning has been hijacked and is so completely perverted by the wrong-wing and other CONjobbers. But dammit, WE WERE RIGHT. AGAIN!!!!!

[The Doctor.]

34. There is no longer any question.

It's real. It's been happening. We caused it.


We know the difference between the isotopes in the regular CO2 cycle and the millions of years old C. The increase in CO2 was our doing. That is indisputable.

For the first time in the history of our climate, CO2 increase preceded warming. That means we kick-started the cycle.

The climate has never before seen increases in CO2 occur this quickly. We are in deep shit.

[Amonester]

37. Robmey's voters: "Who cares?"

Robmey's voters: "We're all for energy independence by getting rid of the damn EPA so Corporate 'muhRika can go fracking the entire country for record profits!"

Robmey's voters: "Who cares about the earthquakes, water pollution, poisoned air, frankenstorms, et al???"

[defacto7]

41. major MAJOR KICK

K&R

[DainBramaged]

42. For those of us stuck because of the storm, thanks for rubbing it in

you suck


I'm glad you think you're so smart

[berni_mccoy]

44. Look over there...

Because you completely missed the point. And life must not be so bad for you. You obviously have power and Internet and the luxury to post flame bait.

Sorry if you are "stuck" otherwise. That truly does suck.

[DainBramaged]

47. I am a guest at my daughters

Last edited Thu Nov 1, 2012, 07:30 PM - Edit history (1)

I will not have power for 7-14 days, there is NO gas to buy, food is short, don't fucking tell me this is a luxury responding to your pious bulshit.

oVER $400 in food will be tossed tomorrow because the freezer and emergency ice melted. That's food that will be difficult to replace. For nearly two weeks we'll eat fucking granola bars, canned beans, peanut butter and jelly if we can find bread. ALL of the camp stoves and Sterno warmers are GONE from Lowes. And my posting is a luxury.


I find you nothing more than an opportunist.

[Doremus]

55. In my best Carly Simon:

....You probably think this thread is about you, don't you, don't you.......

[DainBramaged]

56. For the public, go to hell. you got my pm

DU has turned into a shity band and you're the band leader

[femmedem]

63. You might be able to get emergency food stamps.

Here in CT, many people who didn't ordinarily qualify for help received aid to cover food loss after Irene.
I know this doesn't help you now in the immediate aftermath, but I hope it can help you when it's time to restock the pantry.

[Patiod]

45. My crazy conservative friend has even accepted this

She's obsessed with "Fanny and Freddie", which by themselves caused 100% of the recent financial crisis.

In addition, she's won't refinance because she's sure the appraiser is going to post pictures of her boring house on the internet, and she doesn't have an EZPass because her brothers told her "the government is tracking us on them".

She believes that anyone whose home or business is destroyed a certain percentage by a natural disaster like flood or mudslide should not afterward ineligible for any taxpayer-supported insurance at the same site (OK, that one is controversial, but okay with me)

Even SHE said to me yesterday "the climate is changing, and anyone that can't see that is in denial".

[japple]

46. Jimmy Carter began trying to change the energy policy of this country

back in the mid-seventies. People laughed at him when he suggested that they put on a sweater instead of raising the thermostat. Reagan removed the solar collectors that Carter had installed on the roof of the White House. If we had started just making small changes every year beginning in 1976, reducing greenhouse gasses, and trying to use less oil/fossil fuels, we wouldn't be in this mess today. And small changes wouldn't have seemed so drastic if they had been instituted over time, and they wouldn't have been so costly.

[_ed_]

48. James Hansen has been saying this since the 1970s

BOTH political parties are to blame. What did Al Gore do as Senator or VP to combat global warming?

This is the biggest issue of our time, and even President Obama constantly praises "clean coal." Clean coal is a marketing term that has no basis in science. The President is lying to us on the most important issue facing our future. This is shameful.

What political party is willing to face climate change in factual terms? Republicans are a subsidiary of the oil/gas/coal industry, but modern "third way" Democrats are really no better.

[NCarolinawoman]

49. We need to embrace our visionaries, not mock them.

Unfortunately, throughout history, people turn a deaf ear, or worse.

Making fun of Al Gore has become an ugly sport in some circles. Saw it on Fox News just yesterday.

[rosesaylavee]

50. It breaks my heart to think of the time and lives we have lost

while our leaders and big oil have had their way.

Can't even begin to imagine what Al Gore goes thru ...

November 7, after the election, this needs to be squarely on the top of the list of issues to address. It may be later than it should have been but we can't afford to wait any longer.

[limpyhobbler]

52. Yet some people on this website are still pushing the "this doesn't prove anything" line.

Stop protecting the fossil fuel industry. It's real.

[PowerToThePeople]

58. watching it again. thanks.

[Gabby Hayes]

60. A way forward

After my hometown was nearly wiped off the map by an almost indescribable tornado, researchers from a little-known, local university used the disaster as a laboratory/classroom and created a boom in new technology. These were simple people using basic ideas and methods. Funding was so short they had to test ideas by dropping objects off the roof, and yet decades later the whole world is still benefiting in one way or another. After everyone is accounted for in the aftermath of Sandy, science, technology and old-school gumption will have a golden opportunity to help the world gain a step on the short and long-term threats from Climate Change. It's more than a win-win situation for all us. It's a natural flow forward, an evolutionary process involving art and culture, the clergy, architecture, big shoulders, keen eyes, all of us pushing in the same direction. But as we move forward, everyone from climate scientists to garage inventors will need our protection from vultures and big business thugs. Speaking of --whether they realize it or not, the Koch Brothers, Bushes and invisible king-makers have met their match, because Mother Nature has spoken, and it's going to be her way or a painful extinction.

[sendero]

62. I suggest...

.... that if you live in a coastal area you get better prepared for hurricanes.

And if you live on Earth, prepare for more erratic and extreme weather of all kinds.

There is literally nothing anyone can do about this at this point in time. Nothing is going to happen because nothing CAN happen. You might as well shout "life isn't fair and I'm going to fix that" - because that is how much chance there is to do anything meaningful about climate change.

To take any meaningful steps you would have to get the cooperation of the whole world, and that has never happened and it will never happen.

So fuss and shout all you want - it's not hurting anything but nor is it helping. But if you want to DO something, be better prepared for emergencies caused by the weather.

[Shankapotomus]

64. Huge K and R! n/t