Trailer park homes were completely destroyed by hurricane Charlie in 2004.
According to a study published by MIT this week, global warming
islikely a major cause of the increased ferocity of hurricanes in
thepast decade. The study, published in the journal Nature, notes
theaccumulated power of hurricanes has more than doubled in the
past 30years, with a particularly dramatic spike since 1995.
Kerry Emanuel, a climatologist at Massachusetts Institute of
Technologyand author of the study writes, "My results suggest that
future warmingmay lead to an upward trend in tropical cyclone
destructive potentialand - taking into account an increasing
coastal population - asubstantial increase in hurricane-related
losses in the 21st century."
The study should prove particularly interesting for residents
along theGulf Coast and throughout the Caribbean who are recovering
from whatforecasters call the most active start to the hurricane
season onrecord. In just two months, six storms grew strong enough
to meritnames.
During the height of the 2004 hurricane season, President Bush
visitedthe National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida. He
addressed thecrowd with this assurance: "I want the people of
Florida and otheraffected areas to know that the federal government
is doing everythingwe can to help you."
Not Enough
President Bush is quick to offer kind words and disaster relief
fundsto victims of hurricanes. Yet his administration refuses to
takeaction on global warming, which would reduce the power of these
stormsand save lives.
On July 29, the Senate passed the Energy Bill - despite more
than17,000 of our supporters asking it to reject this
badlegislation. This bill is a triple cocktail of seismic testing
inour waters, incentives to build new nuclear power plants, and
pay-offsfor fossil-fuel giants like ExxonMobil. It will do
virtually nothing toreduce America's growing dependence on oil and
coal and does notaddress global warming.
Good Times
The executives at President Bush's favorite oil company,
ExxonMobil,are undoubtedly pleased with with the passage of the
Energy Bill. But theyhave an even bigger reason to celebrate.
On July 28, ExxonMobil released its earnings report for the
secondquarter. In a time of steep gas prices, Exxon has broken all
profitrecords, earning $7.84 billion in net income during the 2nd
quarter,and $15.5 billion for the first half of the year total. In
fact,the $15.5 billion in profits is a 38 percent increase from the
firsthalf of 2004.
Take Action!
Make sure that your money won't end up in ExxonMobil's next
earningsreport. Don't buy Exxon or Mobil gas, invest in its stock
or workfor the company.
Tell Exxon's CEO that he just lost a customer.
MIT isn't the only one noticing how ferocious hurricanes have
become. Hear from ordinary people whose lives have been affected by
hurricanes.
