I've watched with a mixture of horror and amazement the events in and around New Orleans in the last week. It is painful to see so many people left stranded and homeless. And it was equally painful to watch President Bush not coming across very well in interviews following on from this disaster as his administration looks for a solution to the devastation left in Katrina's wake. I really feel for the victims and survivors of this event and wish that every one can recover some of what has been lost.
This terrible event was also a reminder of the damage done in my home islands at the start of this year when winds in excess of 140 mph - just the tail of a hurricane scale storm - lashed over them. Buildings were flooded and property blown away, homes and schools destroyed. Tragically, some lives were also lost.
Now I know that what we experienced is nothing compared to that of our cousins across the ocean but it makes me wonder about the impact we as a species are having on the World. No one can remember a storm like the one experienced here having occurred in living memory. And, hurricane's have come and gone from America's coast but it seems that recent ones are doing the most damage. Are these the effects of global warming? Or of some other actiivity that can be attributed to Mankind? I have often doubted that man-made global warming is a real phenomenon, as the Earth has gone through dramatic periods of warming and cooling long before human intervention. But perhaps now we all need to take stock. Is it perhaps time for greater commitment to the likes of the Kyoto (is that the correct spelling?) agreement to which the USA and perhaps some others have been reluctant to commit?
I believe that this latest hurricane is a clear wake up call for every single man, woman and child on this little blue world we call home. We are only tenants here and as such have a duty to leave the place in good condition for the benefit of those who will come after us. If we don't then in a few thousand years a different species may have taken over the lease!!!