Hurricane Katrina making its second landfall in Louisiana, as seen by NWS New Orleans radar. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Hurricane protection: The windmills of your mind
HOMELAND security is a strange beast. Governments will happily spend billions of dollars fighting foreign wars and making the lives of travellers miserable with layer upon layer of security at airports. Yet, as Britain’s farmers have recently discovered, those same governments will also happily skimp on basic flood defence. What, it is worth considering, might be done if military-sized budgets were to be deployed against natural, as well as human threats?
If an odd couple of trillion dollars were hanging around in some Treasury official’s back pocket, Mark Jacobson of Stanford University has a suggestion about how to spend them. He would use them to build a specially designed wind farm off the coast of Louisiana, to protect New Orleans and its neighbours from hurricanes. Katrina, after all, killed 1,833 people. That is more than 60% of the number who died in the attacks of September 11th 2001. More trillions would bring more defence; all along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts, if required.
Dr Jacobson’s calculations, which he describes in Nature Climate Change, depend on a clear understanding of how hurricanes work. Turbines would steal energy from them, of course, which would make them somewhat less destructive. But that would not be enough to have a big effect. However, by extracting this energy from the winds in a storm’s leading edge, serried rows of turbines hundreds of kilometres long would also calm the water over which the hurricane’s eye—its driving force—subsequently passed.
The Latest on: Hurricane protection
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Hurricane protection” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Hurricane protection
- How to Protect Your Home Against Hurricaneson May 27, 2023 at 3:00 am
Hurricanes are a predictable disaster whose worst effects can be prevented with a bit of planning and investment. Long-time Lowcountry residents are no strangers to this fact. Hurricane season begins ...
- Register for a chance to win a KIII 3NEWS Hurricane Kit!on May 26, 2023 at 3:44 pm
Nov. 30, and the 3NEWS weather team wants you to know the essentials when it comes to preparing for the dangers of tropical weather. Preparation is the best protection and we encourage you to know the ...
- Could The Supreme Court Ruling On Wetlands Weaken U.S. Hurricane Defenses?on May 26, 2023 at 12:21 pm
A Supreme Court decision may limit federal protection of wetlands, one of our best defenses against hurricanes. By the way, hurricane season starts on June 1st.
- Climate change costs: More heat, more hurricaneson May 26, 2023 at 11:28 am
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, human activity has increased carbon ... Warmer seas are a direct cause of stronger, longer and rapidly intensifying hurricanes. Sea surface ...
- Are NJ beaches prepared for hurricane season? Officials say yes, but vulnerabilities remainon May 26, 2023 at 2:16 am
New Jersey beaches, thanks to efforts to replenish sand and build dunes, are in good shape to withstand hurricane season, officials said.
- Terrebonne Parish declares a State of Emergency ahead of hurricane seasonon May 25, 2023 at 4:27 pm
Terrebonne President Gordon Dove signed the emergency order citing the potential threat of flooding during the 2023 hurricane season.
- 🔮 What will hurricane season hold?on May 25, 2023 at 2:30 pm
The Short List is a snappy USA TODAY news roundup. Subscribe to the newsletter here.
- $1.6M allocated for hurricane preparedness in Vermilion Parishon May 24, 2023 at 5:25 pm
U.S. Congressman Garret Graves announced that the state would be receiving funds for Hurricane prevention. Among the many parishes listed to get money, Vermilion Parish receives 1.6 million dollars to ...
- Hurricanes are getting stronger. Here’s whyon May 23, 2023 at 10:20 am
Hurricanes are getting stronger. Here’s why - Typhoon Mawar could deliver the biggest hit in two decades to Guam, a US territory in the Pacific ...
- How To Get Hurricane Insuranceon May 22, 2023 at 8:25 pm
Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations. Hurricane insurance combines valuable protection for your house and belongings from multiple types of policies—there’s no one ...
via Bing News
