A recent article on Time's web-site discusses the link between global warming and increased frequency and ferocity of hurricanes. The issue of climate change seems to be gaining more and more awareness in the public's consciousness. Many more governments around the world are having serious discussions and implementing new policies to tackle the problem. The U.S. however seems to be getting left behind. President Bush's decision not to support the Kyoto accord on climate change was reviled by environmentalists. Bush's reasoning of Kyoto not being good for the U.S. economy is particularly short sighted and simplistic. What about the economic impact of climate change? Hurricane Andrew in 1992 caused an estimated $26 billion in damage. Hurricane Katrina, following almost the same storm path and being stronger than Andrew, will surely top that price tag. On top of this, oil prices and gas prices will certainly soar to new records. FEMA will undoubtedly pay out millions if not billions from the federal treasury to help the afflicted regions. Of course there have been hurricanes long before humans started driving SUVs and chopping down trees, but worsening hurricanes is yet another example, among the millions of examples, of how climate change is deleterious to the U.S. economy. From all the media coverage of the Hurricane there seems to be very little discussion of how climate change ties in with this. Of course the issue of the damage caused by hurricanes can go way beyond climate change. What about sustainable growth and the over-development of coastal areas? The federal government plays a big part in encouraging/discouraging development of property in high risk hurricane and flood zones. Are we going to perpetuate a cycle of continually building up expensive developments and million-dollar homes, having them wiped out by hurricanes, FEMA paying for disaster relief and insurance bail-outs, and then doing it all over again? The media loves to show the bleak pictures of devastation left in the wake of the storms, but where's the discussion of how we as a society might live in more sustainable planned and built communities? Joe Scarborough is a former congressman from Florida, someone I expect would have some perspective on these issues. I’ll be watching his show, hoping to find some kind of insights into these hurricane related issues.