Hurricane Sandy, widely being labeled as the second most costly hurricane in the U.S. with an estimated $50 billion worth of damage, behind only Hurricane Katrina, has now officially dissipated, and the rebuilding process can begin. But part of that should be in working to help preserve our warming world; if Hurricane Katrina wasn’t a wake-up call, Sandy is a blaring alarm.
While the topic of global warming is as clichéd, it’s still an important topic that is now relevant as ever. According to a think-tank of scientists, the earth has warmed by 0.3 – 0.6 C in the last century. We’ve all heard the same thing, that with rising temperatures comes the rising water levels due to the Polar Regions melting, but the water temperature is rising as well. Elevated water temperatures, along with an increase of moisture in the air, forms the perfect recipe for more super storms. While California has mostly been devoid of such hurricanes, (since 1900, California has only been affected by two hurricanes, while the Eastern Seaboard has been hit by 20 since the start of the 20th century), the threat of rising sea levels can have an impact on the West Coast. Since the City isn’t much higher above sea-level when compared to other cities, the worst case scenario will be that the area will be submerged.
It is time to start taking care of our browning world; if you don’t recycle, then start collecting those plastic water bottles that are filling up your garbage. Then again, you shouldn’t even be buying bottled water; it’s a waste of money and killer to the environment. You can start carpooling. There is a carpool program here at Skyline called the Car/Vanpool program. It’s easy to apply and you’ll get a parking spot. You’ll save money by sharing the commuting costs, it reduces the need for parking and helps save the air. There are so many ways in which we can help the environment, and the benefits aren’t limited to the environment, it can help people too. You know that extra money earned by saving money by carpooling? Yeah, you can use it to buy something nice. A fancy reusable water bottles anyone?
