A Perilous Future

[madmatt621]

From the National Geographic Magazine:

The sinking city faces rising waters and stronger hurricanes, protected only by dwindling wetlands and flawed levees. Yet people are trickling back to the place they call home, rebuilding in harm's way.


Now...I ask you posters...


Should New Orleans rebuild?



Quotes from National Geographic Magazine regarding New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina:

"We simply lack the capacity to protect New Orleans."
-Robert Giegengack, University of Pennsylvania

"Floods are 'acts of God'. But flood losses are largely acts of man."
-Gilbert F. White, Geographer, 1942

"If we don't close MGRO (Mississippi River Gulf Outlet), it might be time to do what my wife says and move to Kansas."
-John Lopez, Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation

"This is a place where people shouldn't be living, yet we're here."
-Roy Dokka, Louisiana State University

"We have to recognize that global warming is part of our future, sea level rise is part of our future."
-Ivor Van Heerden, Louisiana State University

"There are people who will fight to the death to stay here."
-Oliver Houck, Tulane University

[Kilroy_x]

People have the right to live there if they so choose, although they should understand the likely consequences (and if they don't, well...)

[hayatewillown]

"Floods are 'acts of God'. But flood losses are largely acts of man."
-Gilbert F. White, Geographer, 1942


BULL!!!! I CALL BS!
God said he wouldn't flood the world Simple.


"This is a place where people shouldn't be living, yet we're here."
-Roy Dokka, Louisiana State University
O RLY!

"We have to recognize that global warming is part of our future, sea level rise is part of our future."
-Ivor Van Heerden, Louisiana State University

Global Warming is a form of government propaganda.
We don't have enough oil because we are losing other countries trusts.

[devonin]

Weren't you asked by GuidoHunter to refrain from posting in CT (http://www.flashflashrevolution.com/vbz/showpost.php?p=1690651&postcount=709)until you learned how to make useful contributory posts to CT?

[Kilroy_x]

Global warming is scientifically supported and accepted by all scientists worthy of their credentials. I can show you charts of greenhouse gases relative to global warming and you will see a direct and near perfect correlation. There may be political mechanics behind the use and abuse of global warming research, but don't blame bad policy on good science.

[Reach]

Global Warming is a form of government propaganda

Which is why the american government still hasn't done anything about it, right?

This is also an empty statement since I don't think you even know what propaganda is.


And uh, I suppose New Orleans could probably be hit again. Is it really worth it? I think it probably is, though this time with more safety measures in place I guess. Sort of like when tokyo was destroyed by the earthquake, and they rebuilt it with better, more earthquake resistant buildings.

[Relambrien]

Global warming is scientifically supported and accepted by all scientists worthy of their credentials. I can show you charts of greenhouse gases relative to global warming and you will see a direct and near perfect correlation. There may be political mechanics behind the use and abuse of global warming research, but don't blame bad policy on good science.

So the Delaware state climatologist isn't worthy of his credentials? http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070201/NEWS/702010363/1006/NEWS

Note: Delawareonline is the online version of Delaware's newspaper, The News Journal.

And these people aren't worthy of their credentials?

http://www.speroforum.com/site/article.asp?idarticle=9469

That's from a Google search, so of course I have no way of knowing if those people really exist or their beliefs are as stated. If you find anything wrong, please feel free to say so.

Also, the Wikipedia page on Global warming controversy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming_controversy) is a very comprehensive article that covers most of the arguments and positions of advocates and skeptics of global warming.

But this thread isn't about global warming, at least it wasn't supposed to be. So let's get back on track with "Should New Orleans rebuild?" I recommend taking any further global warming discussion to the thread in here titled "Global Warming - Real or Fake?"

Anyway, back on topic, I'm unsure myself. Even ignoring possible effects due to global warming, New Orleans is in a very bad position. I don't know to what strength the levees were rebuilt/are being rebuilt, but they were built to withstand a Category 3 storm before Katrina. I would assume they're rebuilding to withstand Category 5 now, but I can't be sure. If that's the case, I don't see a problem with people returning to live there, though there's always a risk when you more or less live in a bowl.

[Kilroy_x]

So the Delaware state climatologist isn't worthy of his credentials?

And these people aren't worthy of their credentials?

A good number of those people aren't. Some arguments are less senseless than others. You'll also notice that most of those people don't contest the existence of global warming, just the cause.

[Master_of_the_Faster]

BULL!!!! I CALL BS!
God said he wouldn't flood the world Simple.

It's amusing how people say god said this and god said that. No one even knows if there is a god and better yet, people give god a personality assuming that any god ever said a word. Where is the critical thinking in this? There is no evidence to back up any of these type of stated claims unless you state them (which I highly doubt anyone has).

[Relambrien]

You'll also notice that most of those people don't contest the existence of global warming, just the cause.

Which is really the only contestable thing. The Earth's warming; data shows this. That isn't refuted. What people are arguing is whether the cause is natural or human-influenced.

[Kilroy_x]

Right, and a good 90% of the scientific community is in agreement that it is human caused. The data seems to support this. For every alternative explanation I have heard, I have also heard a rebuttal to it.

[hayatewillown]

Weren't you asked by GuidoHunter to refrain from posting in CT (http://www.flashflashrevolution.com/vbz/showpost.php?p=1690651&postcount=709)until you learned how to make useful contributory posts to CT?

Asked, not told.
They were contributory, so gtfo.

It's amusing how people say god said this and god said that. No one even knows if there is a god and better yet, people give god a personality assuming that any god ever said a word. Where is the critical thinking in this? There is no evidence to back up any of these type of stated claims unless you state them (which I highly doubt anyone has).

It can be scientifically proven that an outside force caused the big bang and created the earth, so gtfo.

[Relambrien]

Right, and a good 90% of the scientific community is in agreement that it is human caused. The data seems to support this. For every alternative explanation I have heard, I have also heard a rebuttal to it.

Of course, there were most likely rejoinders to most of the rebuttals somewhere, but once again, that's a different discussion for a different thread.

I really don't want this to degenerate into global warming when another topic has been set by the OP, which no one unfortunately seems to be discussing.

[GuidoHunter]

Asked, not told.
They were contributory, so gtfo.

no u. B&.

--Guido

http://andy.mikee385.com

[devonin]

I really don't want this to degenerate into global warming when another topic has been set by the OP, which no one unfortunately seems to be discussing.

There is such a large amount of propery, buildings and infratsurcture that survived largely intact in the city, that it would seem foolish to -not- rebuild it. I imagine a good deal of the people who lived there would think long and hard about moving back, but they know better now what level of planning needs to be made to keep the city secure in the event of more widescale flooding due to hurricanes and tropical storms.

If most of the population has dispersed to other cities and has no intention of moving back, it could also create a valueable opportunity to address some concerns about illegal immigration. If an open invitation were extended to those wishing to immigrate or who had already immigrated illegally that they would be more likely to be granted legal immigrant status if they were prepared to participate in the rebuilding, there could be a reduction in the number of illegal aliens currently living in and around the area, the reconstruction would be much cheaper and efficient, and when complete these new legal immigrants would be in a much better position financially and socially to contribute meaningfully to the economy.