New NC Law Bans Policies Based on Scientific Research

[slickcat79]

So, just in case NC hadn't already demonstrated enough of teh stoopid this year, they have now drafted and passed a law that disallows the most recent scientific research to be used in making determinations about sea-level rise on the coast because they don't like the results of the study.

I will say, it's good that it's only for 4 years and that they seem to be open to further research on the subject, but it sets a bad precedent. If they don't believe the science now, why would they believe it 4 years from now?

NC already has a struggle dealing with coastal issues because of the outer banks and the resulting inland sounds. They have to pump sand constantly to keep the coastline from receding too rapidly. Parts of the OBX are nothing more than a single 2-lane highway running between rows of sand dunes, and it's not uncommon to have hurricanes completely wash them out, like so:

(the water on the left is not supposed to be connected to the water on the right, and there used to be a road there)

Even the raised bridge they put in place of that breach was flooded last year, and people to the south were completely cut off except for ferry routes. It would only make sense for people to be as proactive about preserving the coast as possible, but they'd prefer to cater to developers with an obvious financial incentive instead. But, hey, not to worry! The developer who championed this bill is clearly a bastion of scientific knowledge himself:

Tom Thompson, president of NC-20, a coastal development group and a key supporter of the law, said the science used to make the 39-inch prediction was flawed..."I don't want to say they're being dishonest, but they're pulling data out of their hip pocket that ain't working," he said

:doh:

http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/new ... level-rise

[deelaem]

I know, sometimes it's so fucking embarrassing to say I live here.

[formergothardite]

I love NC, but why do we do so many stupid things?!

[Witsec7]

Doesn't NC have a large research industry in place? What do they think of this?

[deelaem]

There's a pretty deep divide between the academics and the Christian right here. The research industry is pretty exclusively in the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill region. Most of the rest of the state vote like Rush Limbaugh is whispering in their ears.

[CanadianHippie]

:violence-hammer:

[PennySycamore]

There is just so much WTF in this. I remember back in '99 when they had to move the Cape Hatteras light inland more than 800 meters before it risked collapse into the sea.

[Kitty]

Doesn't NC have a large research industry in place? What do they think of this?

They think it's fucking stupid, of course.

I live close to the Outer Banks and have since I was a child. The counties that make up the Outer Banks (well, most of it's Dare County) rely a LOT on tourism. You want to know why the state legislature passed this bullshit? Tourism in the Outer Banks. Some of those tourists are also from nearby Virginia, and a lot of people flooded in a few years ago to escape the taxes. So yeah, some of these tourists actually want to move to this place (unsurprisingly, they bitch that there's nothing to do and the place sucks in the winter. They have a point, the two counties I'm most familiar with turn into goddamn ghost burgs). So instead of actually doing something to address the problems with rising sea levels and hurricanes, they just build more houses, more vacation cottages, more hotels and more stores and hope they don't get swept away when the next Irene or Isabel barrels through. So pointing out that science is not on their side is hurting the tourism industry, and we just can't allow that. :roll:

North Carolina has also been contemplating wind farms off the beaches for the last few years. That would be awesome, since it would bring jobs to counties that don't have that many in the winter. You want to know why that hasn't happened yet? FUCKING. TOURISM. Apparently the windmills will fuck up the beautiful view, or something stupid like that. That might happen, but that's why a county shouldn't rely on tourism so much, eh? The eastern/coastal counties in NC are actually quite rural and poor (yes, even the ones that make up the Outer Banks, I wasn't kidding about the "goddamn ghost burg" comment) so outside of tourist season, when the beaches are deserted, there's not nearly as much money coming in. Wind farms would be a year-round money maker, but of course it's only the summer that counts.

[Kitty]

There is just so much WTF in this. I remember back in '99 when they had to move the Cape Hatteras light inland more than 800 meters before it risked collapse into the sea.

That's the year I moved to Hometown, and for a while it was a really big deal. I wouldn't be surprised if it gets moved again, or if another lighthouse has to be moved during my lifetime. Some of this stuff really worries me, a lot of people, businesses, and homes (and schools!) are literally going to be underwater soon. And nobody's doing anything about it except trying to bring more people in.