Katrina and the Waves

Hurricane Katrina hit land this morning, and the damage left behind was devastating. Fortunately, it veered just east of New Orleans before it could cause the kind of catastrophic flooding that was feared. But other areas of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama were also hit hard. There were a significant number of deaths, billions of dollars in damage, and thousands of people will be homeless for months.

It's times like these when you realize how powerless we all are compared to the forces of nature. While not as devastating as the December tsunami, Katrina sent a message about the fragility of life and a way of life. It's also times like these when we rely on our news media to provide vital information, above and beyond. I have to say, for the most part, CNN and Fox did a pretty good job during the time I tuned them in. I have my pet peeves about their special titles and graphics for things like this (CNN tackily dubbed itself "Hurricane Headquarters", and Fox shamelessly displayed the title "Direct Hit"), and Fox's hosts sometimes made it seem they were happy to be covering a story this big, but I'll give them their props.

Not insignificantly, oil production and refinery off the Gulf Coast was ground to a halt. With already astronomical oil prices, this won't help. I realize that this isn't that important compared with what the coastal residents will have to go through. But this sidebar to the hurricane is just another alarm bell regarding our dependence on oil as a primary source of energy. It makes you wonder what it would be like if we could somehow harness some of the energy from these storms. Katrina probably had enough power to keep a large city lit for years. Whoever can find a way to do that will make a mint and save the planet. (Who says environmentalism and capitalism can't co-exist?)

I have no doubt that the people of North America will come through, as we always do, in helping the victims of this disaster and the rebuilding effort. I urge everybody to show your generosity toward these people in need. In these troubled, divided times, I know that's something that everybody can agree on.