Blaming Katrina on....yes who?

There are usually two major problems in the diffusion of scientific knowledge:

1. It's too complicated
2. It's too simple

In the first scenario politicians and business leaders don't dare to make decisions based on the presented facts, because they are not feeling fully confident. In the second scenario, the decisions will come much earlier but may cause actions going in a completely wrong direction.

Global warming is such an issue.

A few days ago, Boston Globe readers could learn that the real name of the terrible catastrophy in New Orleans is not Katrina but Global Warming. According to the writer, Ross Gelbspan, that was also the name of the recent fires in Portugal, floodings in Central Europe and the storm in Scandinavia.

On the other hand, Yesterday, WSJ readers could learn that climate change is nothing but the new religion of the West. Politicians think that if we only can solve the troubles with the human caused global warming we can continue living in our eternal garden of Eden. As you can expect the writer, James Schlesinger, thinks  different. Even if there may be a human caused greenhouse effect, he argues, temperature over time always will change.

To me both of these articles, any many other with the same amount of self esteem, are troublesome. Locked positions and high prestige is fighting against panic and populsim. The result:

No or bad actions.

I have a question to both of theses guys:

Mr Schelsinger: if global warming isn't only human caused, but part of nature: Why wouldn't we anyway do everything we could to slow it down, as it in fact can cause hugh catastrophies.

Mr Gelbspan: Isn't it a little too easy just to say every catastrophy is caused by us and can be prevented by a new lifestyle. Isn't the risks rather high that we miss important actions that could be very important on the way.

My own solution is this:

• Admit there are human actions that cause an increased global warming
• Admit also that recent natural catastrophies have caused severe damage not least because our society can't handle them. It's not built for flooding, falling trees or power shortages.
• Build societys that are less grid dependent and more autonomous: Solar cells, wind power, home farming, water collection with purification......

Then people are not only doing well for the enviroment, they are far better prepared next time a power shortage takes place. Caused by a storm that may be the result of human actions. Or not. Who cares when they are in trouble.