Hurricane from outer space Berner, Scott Buy this Giclee Print at AllPosters.com

Mainstream Science

In the mainstream of scientific research, much of this tragedy is either ‘just nature’ or the effects of global warming. With the epidemics, be it HIV or Avian Flu, scientists point to the natural completion, mutation and natural selection within the viral strains that reinforce genetic changes that allow a virus to adapt to new hosts. This Darwinian outlook states that those mutations (such as adapting from a bird host to a human host) that are beneficial are selected by ‘nature’ since they allow the virus a greater niche in which to grow and reproduce with little competition. Thus, they propose that these ‘happy accidents’ cause the plagues.

As for floods, earthquakes, typhoons and hurricanes, much of mainstream science has found that it is far easier to blame it on global warming than it is to understand exactly what is going on. What in the climate is responsible for these apparent increases in ‘natures wrath’?

Global warming, a fact that is only now being considered real in political circles, does not mean that the entire earth warms up evenly, but that the average temperature of the world increases. This plays out in a very mixed climatic change in the world with some regions actually getting cooler, while others become more temperate. Thus it may snow in Florida while the Northeastern United States experiences above average temperatures.

But how does temperature cause disaster? Well, the warming of the seas in the hurricane birthing grounds (the Atlantic and East Pacific basins) actually favors the formation of and strengthening of hurricanes. In 1948 Erik Palmen observed that tropical cyclones required ocean temperatures of at least 80°F (26.5°C) for their formation and growth. Thus the warmer oceans allow for more and longer periods of hurricane formation.

However, while it appears that hurricanes have gotten worse in the last few years, according to the National Hurricane Center, that does not appear to be the case. From 1991 till 2004, the number of major hurricanes (category 3,4,5) to strike the U.S. were 8, out of a total, including lesser strengths below category 3, of 23. But if we look at the past, we find from 1941-1950 that 10 major hurricanes (24 in total) struck the U.S. – the worst decade since the 1850’s. So can global warming be to blame for it all?

As for earthquakes, the United States Geological Survey reports that an average of 1,000 earthquakes hit the world each year. But if we look at major earthquakes, that number has been slowly increasing, from two during the 1850’s decade, to as many as 23 during the 1990’s. Does global warming contribute to this? While science has no direct evidence, it has been hypothesized as a possible contributor. In an article published in Science Daily, Douglas Alsdorf, assistant professor of geological sciences at Ohio State University, found that during the annual flooding of the Amazon River in South America, the crust of the earth actually drops 3 inches under the weight. Once the floods conclude, the crust rises back up to its normal position.

Most earthquakes are caused by compressional or tensional stresses built up at the edges of the huge moving lithospheric plates that make up the earth's surface (plate tectonics). While measurements of the effects of water on the earth’s crust are new, they point to the fact that the crust is affected by the weight of the water above it, experiencing compressional stresses from it. With global warming melting polar ice caps, we now see a shift in the distribution of weight on the crust caused by water. Where previously the weight had been centralized at the poles, this weight is now being distributed across the oceans as the ice melts, adding to the tensions in the crust. This redistribution of stress from the poles to the ocean could be responsible for the increase in major earthquakes.

Cause and Effect

Often, we spend far more effort analyzing the effect than treating the cause. Modern medicine is rich in examples of this. So what is really causing these global tragedies? An interesting corollary can be seen if we look at the hurricane and earthquake frequencies by decade. The chart below shows this trend:

But what could have caused this correlation? Whatever it is, it seems to take longer to affect the earth than the air, hence the delay. But that would be what one would expect. If we go back to the cause of earthquakes, most are caused by compressional or tensional stresses that have built up in the earth’s crust. So one would expect that if there is some outside force that is affecting both hurricanes and earthquakes, then while hurricanes would immediately be evidenced as increasing, a period of time would be required to build up tension in the earth until the quakes finally occurred.

What causes this? An interesting trend can be seen in the next chart.

The Conclusion

In this chart, the periods where the U.S. was at war are highlighted. Again, there is a close correlation between natural disasters and the timing of the wars. Interestingly, the only war that has seen a decrease in activity is the Vietnam War (in green) which is also the most highly protested war the U.S. has fought. Not shown in the chart is the cold war era that began around 1947, coinciding with the highest peak on the chart. Also notice that while the 2001-2004 time period seems to be declining, actually it can be estimated to be higher than the last decade. Since only four years are represented, if it is assumed that the same frequency of hurricanes and earthquakes will occur in the remaining six years, those numbers would be expected to nearly triple, as shown below:

So what can we glean from this analysis? In times when there was the greatest fear, when violence and hatred filled the globe, nature responded in kind. It would suggest that these ‘tragedies’ are a creation of our own thoughts. As we, as a culture, enveloped ourselves in fear that some outside force was about to come and do us harm, then in such thought we created that which we feared.

What overcomes fear? It is through love, faith and trust that fear is overcome. We must focus on these within ourselves and toward those around us. It is NO MISTAKE that the only war shown above that did not correlate to an increase in global events was the Vietnam War, for at no other time, millions focused on love.

Today, as a society, we live in constant fear. This fear is preached from the most prestigious pulpits, it is institutionalized in color coded alert levels, it is bathed in the glow of the television news networks. Given our constant focus on fear, it is no wonder that we are similarly creating the very things we fear in our reality.

A Better Way

We can make a difference and we can put away the fear, replacing it with love and faith. What is the difference between faith and fear?

• Faith is believing that what you cannot see will come to pass.
• Fear is believing that what you cannot see will come to pass.

The difference is in what you believe. By focusing your attention on the positive, by visualizing a better tomorrow and having faith that it will come to pass, you empower the Universe to create that future. As written in the Power of Now, we see that we must have faith in the Universe to provide for our future, as we learn to find peace within ourselves, in every moment, regardless of our life situation. It is fear that robs us of our abundance and brings tragedy to our world. For what is tragedy really, but the lack of an abundant life filled with health, love and happiness.

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