Katrina's Waves

In the wake of the misery caused by Hurricane Katrina, there have been untold stories of the death and destruction caused by the wind, storm surges and flooding. New Orleans is resembling the scenes from "Mad Max" rather than a major U.S. city. Gut-turning stories of lost love-ones and sheer desperation bombard us from CNN, MSNBC and the networks. That region of the country, one that I have never been to, will probably not be the same for years. But what will be the impact on West Virginia, and most importantly, what can be learned from this terrible storm?

We can see on the news that the immediate impact will be that our gasoline will be more expensive and more scarce. Here in North Carolina, there have been calls from the governor to conserve gas, as the two major pipelines that account for 90% of the gasoline are down, because they start in the Gulf area. It appears from the news that prices are even higher in West Virginia, and there could be shortages in the supplies for some counties' police, public transportation and emergency vehicles. But unless there is another disaster somewhere in the world's oil production system, the supply situation will probably resolve itself fairly quickly. The real lesson is that the vulnerability of this country's energy needs, especially in the area of transportation. Our nation's love affair with automobiles, and the resulting addiction to oil, has caused this current crisis. What does mean for West Virginia specifically? It means that the state has to gain control over its energy sources, namely coal and natural gas. Until the time when we have a reliable, renewable, non-polluting and cheap source of energy for our electricity and our transportation, our energy sources inside our nation's borders will be vital. And if West Virginia wants to improve its economy, those sources that rest beneath the mountains need to be in the hands of companies based in the Mountain State. We can no longer be merely a supplier of the raw materials, being satisfied that our people have jobs. There must be ownership and control over the state's natural energy resources; otherwise the environment and the economy will continue to suffer from out-of-state decision makers. The aftermath of Katrina has shown us the future. Does West Virginia have the will to act on the vision, or will the waves of economic suffocation continue to wash over the state?