Katrina - A Harsh Reminder of Our Vulnerability

As the world tries to get their minds around the devastation that Katrina brought upon Louisiana, the message is loud and clear that we are extremely vulnerable and highly unprepared.

One of the significant problems faced in the aftermath of the hurricane was the areas' loss of power. The impact that this power loss had was overwhelming in many ways as it affected rescue attempts, made the supply of water and the removal of waste near impossible, cooling systems shut down, hospitals could not function and the list goes on.

In my opinion, whether it be a natural disaster, a terrorist attack or problems related to over usage or technical difficulties, we do not have the proper systems in place to handle power outages. Renewable energy technology, which uses resources that don't stop working during diasters or attacks, is the most logical solution we have to today's problems. Solar and wind power can be incorporated into our daily lives with little or no disruption and provide efficient and clean production of energy, which can be used as either a primary or back-up source of power.

The only positive that we can take from tragic events such as the destruction left by Hurricane Katrina, are the lessons we learn and the measures we take moving forward to improve our reaction and prepardness for any similar future events. I hope that as New Orleans rebuilds and the rest of the world absorbs the overall impact of this disaster that we become pro-active advocates of change, versus passive observers.