http://www.miller-mccune.com/science-environment/one-disaster-too-many-explanations-3679/ Nationally Acclaimed Politics, Science and Culture Coverage Wed, 28 Dec 2011 18:00:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://www.miller-mccune.com/science-environment/one-disaster-too-many-explanations-3679/#comment-380 richard pauli Tue, 26 May 2009 21:40:36 +0000 http://blog.miller-mccune.com.s72010.gridserver.com/2009/05/26/one-disaster-too-many-explanations/#comment-380 Global warming and climate destabilization affect everyone. The tiny Native American community of Kivalina is suing the carbon fuel companies that are mostly responsible for delivering CO2 emissions. More interesting is the lawsuit also charges media and advertising industries with being complicit. And this is a suit based on nuisance law - very simple legal thinking. Yet if they prevail, this could be the biggest legal floodgate of all... no ruling yet.http://www.noenergytomorrow.org/2008/09/tiny-alaskan-village-of-kivalina-vs-exxonmobil.htmlOne law firm called this "The most dangerous litigation in America" http://www.legalreforminthenews.com/2008PDFS/AJP-SLF_Kivalina_5-13-08.pdfThe problem is that the law is so crucial to our civilization - to ignore or disregard it imperils our civilization. But now our climate is in danger of losing its ability to sustain human life. So how do we manage this decline? Do we keep the rule of law? Global warming and climate destabilization affect everyone. The tiny Native American community of Kivalina is suing the carbon fuel companies that are mostly responsible for delivering CO2 emissions. More interesting is the lawsuit also charges media and advertising industries with being complicit. And this is a suit based on nuisance law – very simple legal thinking. Yet if they prevail, this could be the biggest legal floodgate of all… no ruling yet.http://www.noenergytomorrow.org/2008/09/tiny-alaskan-village-of-kivalina-vs-exxonmobil.htmlOne law firm called this “The most dangerous litigation in America” http://www.legalreforminthenews.com/2008PDFS/AJP-SLF_Kivalina_5-13-08.pdfThe problem is that the law is so crucial to our civilization – to ignore or disregard it imperils our civilization. But now our climate is in danger of losing its ability to sustain human life. So how do we manage this decline? Do we keep the rule of law?

]]> http://www.miller-mccune.com/science-environment/one-disaster-too-many-explanations-3679/#comment-378 Anonymous User Tue, 26 May 2009 19:36:08 +0000 http://blog.miller-mccune.com.s72010.gridserver.com/2009/05/26/one-disaster-too-many-explanations/#comment-378 Disasters occur because we do not know enough and will never know enough to be able to predict the future with 100 percent certainty. Beyond that, we (the public) do not want to pay the taxes or price to minimize the chance for disaster. TMI happened because the operators got sloppy as did Bhopal, another disaster that should have been discussed in this article. Another human frailty, the unwillingness to think the worst will happen (to heed the warnings of the experts) led to Love Canal - the chemical company warned the local officials what would happen if they breached the cap. The disaster in New Orleans happened because people ignored the danger signs and encouraged growth in an area that was a disaster waiting to happen - the same with any low coastal area in the path of hurricanes. The reality is that science will be embraced if it supports some politicians or developers view of progress and ignored otherwise. Disasters occur because we do not know enough and will never know enough to be able to predict the future with 100 percent certainty. Beyond that, we (the public) do not want to pay the taxes or price to minimize the chance for disaster. TMI happened because the operators got sloppy as did Bhopal, another disaster that should have been discussed in this article. Another human frailty, the unwillingness to think the worst will happen (to heed the warnings of the experts) led to Love Canal – the chemical company warned the local officials what would happen if they breached the cap. The disaster in New Orleans happened because people ignored the danger signs and encouraged growth in an area that was a disaster waiting to happen – the same with any low coastal area in the path of hurricanes. The reality is that science will be embraced if it supports some politicians or developers view of progress and ignored otherwise.

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