Hurricane Irony?

Hurricane Isaac is threatening to cause problems at the GOP convention, according to the Washington Post. This seems a recurring theme as four years ago Hurricane Gustav almost ruined McCain/Palin's big day. Further, Weather.com explains that "Republicans have selected the riskier hurricane-prone cities to host conventions than the Democrats."

Maybe this isn't a coincidence, but rather these hurricanes are trying to send the GOP a message. Perhaps the GOP's consistent head-in-the-sand response to change how the wind blows in the GOP environmental discussions. The hurricanes would have good reason, too. Two weeks ago, for example, Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) claimed that "recent scientific data shows that the earth is currently in a cooling period, and it's predicted that it will continue to cool over the next 20 years."

To be fair to Rep. Scalise, Congress has been doing so much good work that he has been stuck inside the halls of Congress passing legislation to get this country back on track. Who could blame him, after all this time, for confusing air conditioning with the current climate? If he had the chance to go outside, he would have noticed that last June:

broke or tied 3,215 high-temperature records across the United States. That followed the warmest May on record for the Northern Hemisphere – the 327th consecutive month in which the temperature of the entire globe exceeded the 20th-century average, the odds of which occurring by simple chance were 3.7 x 10-99, a number considerably larger than the number of stars in the universe.

Not even the 180 degree conversion of climate-skeptic and UC Berekely professor Richard A. Muller, whose work was funded by Charles and David Koch, to a believer in climate change will change the party's opinion. Last year a poll showed 31 percent of conservative Republicans don't believe in climate change (whereas 63 percent of moderate and liberal Republicans say climate change is real).

So this is where the hurricanes come in. They are trying to remind the GOP that climate change is a problem by bringing with them more violent, temperamental weather. The GOP is needed if action is to be taken to stop Artic sea ice from hitting record lows; the summers from getting hotter; and to save the animals that are leaving their usual habitats because of the change in temperatures.

Here's hoping Hurricane Irony--I mean Isaac--helps the GOP at least join the 63 percent of Americans that believe in climate change.