Source: It's Global Warming, Stupid - Businessweek That Sandy struck one of the primary news and entertainment centers is serendipity. Bob Wilson
Among coastal megacities in industrialized countries, NYC seems uniquely unprepared for storm surge events. That will be costly to change and it is not necessarily linked to climate change. They just gotta fix it. Next time, the subway and train tubes will be plugged for example. But lower Manhattan is just too low.
Nor'easters have been one of the harshest storm systems in US for thousands of years. Head of NOAA noted Sandy was not a global warming effect while ticking off the actual effects of global warming such as faster rising sea levels. Interesting that storm had no effect on the news and entertainment industry.
I saw the David Letterman show without an audience. Other late night shows were canceled or in the case of Daily Show, unplanned reruns for two nights. Bob Wilson
Too bad the waters will have to get to 50-60 feet above sea level to flood the K Street lobbyists offices so they will tell the denialist Congress critters that this is real.
Yikes! So,instead of telling audience to laugh, applaud they played the tape of the audiences they told to laugh or applaud. How could you tell the diference?
In one respect, Sandy is practice for what would happen if (or when) the western flank of the volcano Cumbre Vieja on La Palma ever collapses. Only there would be just hours warning and no practical escape for tens of millions. But we can discuss this another day. Sad to say, FOX apparently is on higher ground. With a front row seat to Sandy, I have no doubt they will mock Al Gore and global warming on the next snow flake. Only now, a substantial part of their Northeastern audience has been struck by a 'clue by four.' As for the Letterman show, there was never a need for a laugh track. In fact, the program was somewhat improved even though no one was getting audience feedback. Bob Wilson
I wonder if the people of rome, looked at pompeii after the eruption and blamed the gods, instead of man for living at the foot of a volcano. There were plenty of warnings then too. I have wondered why after katrina people were no talking about dikes around NYC. They are talking about a sea wall now. Sandy Spurs Talk of Sea Barrier for New York - ABC News
...ever since Frankenstorm, the temps here in East have been 15F below average ...yet some feel Frankenstrom is definite evidence of global warming. Nonetheless if there are lessons learned in terms of storm surge preparedness and building policy, it is a good thing.
They probably blamed the people of Pompei & Herculeum for angering the Gods (or at least one of them). A bit further south others blamed the wickedness of the inhabitants of Sodom for bringing down the wrath of God. Now we just tell those who choose to live on barrier islands or at sea level when they get flooded, "what did you expect?" The Earth's crust moves. Storms make landfall. There isn't a safe spot on this planet. Same places are just more stable than others.
"ever since Frankenstorm, the temps here in East have been 15F below average" Indeed this is a very good reason to continue relief efforts after the storm. It happened. People need help. These things seem more important than arguing in the short term about climate change (long term). Such discussions surely would consider that sea-surface temps are lowered by hurricanes, and that in this case a lot of polar air has been pulled to lower latitudes. However, it seems better to do relief work now. We will have chances later to work out whether strong storms and wide temperature swings can be attributed to CO2 forcing. And if so, what is the best economic path to limit that ugly stuff.
