30 Aug 2007 2007 Hurricane Season: In Like a Lamb, Out Like a Lion?

Posted at 04:06h in Articles, Blog by

Husband David Ridenour examines the 2007 hurricane season in light of environmentalist claims about a link between hurricanes and global warming:

Environmentalists can’t be very happy with the 2007 Atlantic Hurricane season so far. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) had predicted an “above normal” hurricane season, but as we approach the season’s halfway mark, the hurricane season looks more like a lamb than a lion.

The Greens love to draw attention to hurricanes because weather-related disasters make effective props for their campaign to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.

As Hurricane Dean was making its way toward the Gulf Coast earlier this month, for example, Amanda Staudt of the National Wildlife Federation wrote: “The big picture is that global warming is putting hurricanes on steroids.”

Perhaps she’s right, if she was referring to one of the side effects of long-term steroid use… impotency.

Last year, we had just five Atlantic hurricanes – 17% less than normal.

So far this year, there’s been just one Atlantic hurricane. Since 1944, there’s been an average of two hurricanes by this stage of the season (August 30). That’s right: We’re at 50% the norm so far.

Already, NOAA has revised its projection for the upper range of hurricanes down by 10% (from 10 to 9) and the upper range of named storms down by nearly 6% (from 17 to 16).

There’s still ample time for this year’s Atlantic hurricane season to be above normal. To do so, however, there will have to be 50% more hurricanes in the second half of the season than normal.

And what about hurricanes in the Eastern Pacific? There’s been just two this season, about 40% of the average for this stage of the season.

Those who link hurricanes to global warming in an attempt to push through onerous new regulations on energy are playing a very dangerous game.

A few more hurricanes seasons like these and Americans may begin clamoring for global warming.

To contact author David Ridenour directly, write him at [email protected]

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