We Are All from New Orleans Now: Climate Change, Hurricanes and the Fate of America's Coastal Cities | Mike Tidwell, The Nation

It does not matter if Hurricane Sandy is completely the fault of climate change. The fact is that climate change IS happening, and another fact is that humans CAN do something about it. And another fact is that if we don't start doing something about it now, later WILL be too late.

It's disturbing how little attention climate change has gotten this election season from both political parties and the "news" media.

In his article, Tidwell writes:

"What can we do? Three major options: (1) abandon our coastal cities and retreat inland, (2) stay put and try to adapt to the menacing new conditions or (3) stop burning planet-warming fossil fuels as fast as possible.

"Retreat, of course, is no one’s first choice. But adapting means committing fully to the New Orleans model. It means potentially thousands of miles of levees and flood walls across much of the East Coast. And that’s just to handle the rising sea. ...

"In truth, we must combine some level of adaptation with the third option: switching away from fossil fuels and onto clean energy. Clean energy is less expensive, less risky and overall much better for us. It’s the option that treats the disease of global warming, not just the symptoms. ..."

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This article is featured today, Oct. 30, in my daily paper, Footprints: Progressive Steps--available at the Progressive Politics tab above and by free email subscription.