Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2005
Hurricane.
Okay, so let me get this straight. A national catastrophe has struck the Gulf States arguably by the effects of Global Warming. (more on that later) The Navy has been sent forth to help, moving their hospital ship the USNS Comfort from Baltimore to Louisiana. The Army Corps of Engineers is getting to work on blocking the leak in the levee. The Queen of England, the Russian President, the British Prime Minister and thousands more are glued to their television, and computer screens, constantly asking for more information, and sending their thoughts, prayers, sympathy, empathy, and aid money to those hurt by the events in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama.
Yet Congress is not being called in? It has taken two days for the Cabinet to be gathered? Mobile is floating, and not ONE congressman has cancelled their vacation plans or made a statement to the media? It makes me ill. This is supposedly going to be more expensive than 9/11. It’s not just something to brush off.
I want to volunteer. I want to go down there and I want to help. I want to herd people together if necessary. I want to help clean up. Physical Labor won’t bother me, honestly, if for a cause such as this. I have not done a single thing for anyone else. Not a single, self-sacrificing thing. Tomorrow, once they open, I’m going to call the Red Cross about volunteering somehow. Even if I’m pushing papers or only giving blood (and y’all KNOW I’m fuckin’ terrified of needles) it’s something.
As far as Global Warming is concerned it is no longer a question. You cannot ignore the fact that the world is getting warmer. The warmer the water is, the more powerful hurricanes are. The waters in the Gulf of Mexico were 4-6 degrees warmer this year than any other year. Arguably, you could say that Global Warming has had a great effect on Hurricane Katrina. And yet the Department of Defense, in cooperation with the EPA has released an international waiver towards certain set standards for clean fuel. And what for, to save money on gas? This waiver was put into effect in the four states with the most storm damage last night. This is more than understandable, emergency vehicles and other vehicles need cheap fuel. But in Illinois, Oregon, Alaska and other states that are in no way directly affected in ways other than crude oil prices? Our standards under the Clean Air Act were shoddy and not enough to start with!
On another note: Kara McLaughlin is going to kill me because I’m working on a fundraising project for all this with the school. Ahahahhahhahaha. You don’t go to JACKSON for this kind of thing. You go to Barbour!
ALSO: Blood drive tomorrow.
12:30 – 5:30 p.m.
YMCA
1200 Esic Drive, Edwardsville, IL
Sponsored by the Goshen Rotary
Free gift to all donors
theparisian at 5:49 p.m.