by Lindsay E. Brown
Did Global Warming Contribute to Hurricane Sandy’s Devastation?
“We knew that this was going to be a very dangerous storm, and the storm has met our expectations,” said Mayor Michael Bloomberg in a press conference on Monday evening. Sandy sure did meet them, and our thoughts are with everyone affected by the storm.
“There are no precedents for Sandy,” Bill Read, former director of the National Hurricane Center told the Houston Chronicle. Here are some of the records Sandy unfortunately broke.
- Largest Atlantic hurricane on record
- Strongest hurricane to make landfall north of Cape Hatteras
- Longest weather related shut-down of the New York Stock Exchange since 1888
- Highest storm surge
- Largest number of power outages
- Most debilitating event suffered by the New York subway system
It’s hard to believe it all happened so quickly. And now in the wake of the disaster, many are deeply concerned that climate change had something to do with Sandy’s size, strength and tenacity. Governor Cuomo told ABC News that he agreed with former Vice President Al Gore, who said in a blog post that Hurricane Sandy was a symptom of a larger climate crisis.
Mayor Bloomberg shared similar concerns in a press conference on Tuesday.
“What is clear is that the storms that we’ve experienced in the last year or so, around this country and around the world, are much more severe than before,” Bloomberg said. “Whether that’s global warming or what, I don’t know. But we’ll have to address those issues.”
Give Halloween Candy Wrappers a Second Life By Recycling Them
As you and your family unwrap candy over the next few days, opt to recycle those wrappers as opposed to sending them to a landfill. Terracycle’s Candy Wrapper Brigade is a recycling program that accepts any brand and any size candy wrappers. Simply save the wrapper and send them in (shipping is covered). So start saving those wrappers today!
New Levi’s Denim Line Made From Plastic Bottles
Brown beer bottles, green soda bottles, clear water bottles, and black food trays were collected from municipal recycling programs across the country to create Levi’s Spring 2013 Waste Less collection for men and women. The new denim line will incorporate eight 12 to 20-ounce plastic soda bottles per jean.
Photo Credit: NASA
