Henry David Thoreau


George Santayana


Last update February 17, 2010

As with all the web pages on the Living Cosmos web site, this web page is only a portion of the factual, empirical support for the ideas presented. This is basically reflection of what takes place in history as told in the book, In Defense of Nature -- The History Nobody Told You About, which is supported by scholarly references, historical writings, mythology, religious scriptures and more. There is also an excerpt from The Vital Vastness -- Volume One. Because these books are published the full scope and references could not be presented at present, but may be made available at a later date. An attempt will be made to address queries, but not all queries can be answered.



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Hurricanes and Life


The years of 2004 and 2005 were very busy hurricane seasons with hurricane after hurricane striking Florida and the Gulf Coast states. The year of 2005 set a record with the first ever 22nd and 23rd named hurricanes as of the end of October. Much of what really takes place is overlooked in news programs. Few take notice of the facts that wild animals sense the coming storm and escape the destruction. While buildings, roads and other man-made (non-living) structures are destroyed, there are still trees, bushes and other vegetation that are still thriving after the storm hits. In fact, the trees that are destroyed by the storm are weak, diseased, not native to the region or old, with few exceptions. Some trees have their root systems so constrained by asphalt and concrete that they cannot hold themselves up when the winds strike, and these trees are usually very large. Moreover, the levees that failed were those that did not have trees growing near the levees, as indicated by photos and videos. The trees roots and bodies would have helped to prevent the levees failure. Take a look at the photos and you will see destroyed houses, while in the background there are trees and bushes standing. This is a fact of "natural" disasters throughout history, as are the scenes of war, which are often compared to "natural" disasters, such as Katrina and Baghdad in the Iraq war, and New Orleans and Fallujah in the Iraq war. In addition, arson -- people -- where also a factor in destroying non-living structures. This is entire perspective is an overlooked fact, both "natural" disasters, and war and other human activity, destroy non-living things (and some of the people that create them), and bring back life.

Hurricane Katerina was the greatest disaster ever recorded for the United States, in terms of devastated cities and communities (i.e., property damage). As with all of the so-called "natural" disasters, there is the problem of human actions. One news story sheds light on this by revealing the fact that rampant development is strongly responsible for the devastating effects, not Mother Nature who tirelessly works to preserve life. In this same article there appears a quote form one health official saying what is often overlooked, that New Orleans has turned into a "wilderness" (see the Spiegel news story). In fact, there has been a record-breaking number of hurricanes between 1995 and 1999, while forecasts indicate that there will likely be more than the usual number of hurricanes, and even if not, there will be more devastating ones.

The development of the Gulf Coast is one of the most prominent factors for causing the tremendous devastation in New Orleans, and elsewhere around the Gulf Coast, caused by hurricane Katrina. See this PhysOrg.com article, comparing it with the Asian Tsunami of 2004, and how Asia could also experience a similar fate from a typhoon (see discussion below on Myanmar). The wetlands, a natural buffer, would have taken out some of the powerfulness from hurricane Katerina (and others), as they help to lessen the impact of heat and moisture transfer in intensitfying the hurricane's strength, and taking some of the punch out of the hurricane. There is also a "mysterious" dead zone in the Gulf, where corals and other aquatic life cannot survive (see this PhysOrg.com article about this dead zone). It has recently been learned that these "dead zones" are caused by humans -- the runoff of pesticides, silt, chemical fertilizers, sewage, animal wastes and pollutants from the burning of fossil fuels. Moreover, these dead zones are increasing, not only in the Gulf Coast but in many places around the world, threatening other areas with the same fate. Corals and other living things also abate the power of the storm. See these other discussions on the role the loss of wetlands played in making the coast vulnerable, as well as maps comparing 1839 with 1993. Though many will probably ignore the fact that this is the most industralized state in the U.S., and also has more chemical plants, oil refineries, and toxic waste sites, and that this is one of the reasons for the hurricane targetting the area. That is, the net charge of the atmosphere and the ground have been offset by this industrialization and urbanism, which attracts storm fronts.

Notwithstanding, the Bush Administration had cut funding of a wetlands restoration project by 90%! A timeline of misguided decisions by the Administration shows a series of poor decisions involving flood control and FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), making the devastation worse (see the Washington Monthly article and also, a recent PBS.org discussion of the possiblity of such a disaster). In fact, much of what was known about the potential of a categoary 5 hurricane's effect on the region, especially New Orleans, was the ignored by the Bush administration. There were front page stories in New Orleans newspapers, a 2002 program on Public Broadcasting Station, a Scientific American article, and a number of other sources that discussed the problem, as well as decades of discussions. Yet, on a news broadcast President George W. Bush claims he did not know that such a problem existed. See a PBS.org discussion on the politics of disasters like hurricane Katerina, including Katerina. Also see the Nature.com article on how people have been discussing the potential for such a disaster with politicians for years. Ironically and ruthlessly, and in contrast to this overwhelming evidence, the Bush Administration was trying to pass the blame unto environmentalists!!!.

Look at the photos of hurricane Katerina's devastation and you will see trees and bushes still stating and growing though surrounded by the debris of the destroyed structures. Some may not like the idea, but the experts say that the coast is sinking and any restoration is futile. See the Physorg.com article. This is especially true when considering global warming, which is projected to raise sea level by as much as 16 feet, and that parts of Louisianna and New Orleans are already below sea level and sinking further.

It should be noted that there are solar and lunar effects in the timing of the storm and its sudden intensification. On August 23, 2005 sunspot 798 suddenly appeared on what was a quiet Sun just a day prior. Shortly thereafter the Earth underwent geomagnetic storms on August 24, 2005, as two coronal mass ejections where hurled into space. It was during these days that Katrina formed. When mid-phase came on August 29th Katrina suddenly intensified from a category 1 to a category 5 hurricane. Solar activity aided in the development of the hurricane, and the Moon triggered particle cascades that ionized the atmosphere, causing the sudden intensification of hurricane Katrina (mid-phase is a period between phases, 3-4 days after and before a phase, and is the most active in triggering events). Recent research has confirmed that there is a lunar trigger in the development of hurricanes. This research disclosed that hurricanes which formed in the Atlantic Ocean between 1950 and 2007 were more likely to form right after the new moon. For further discussion on the Sun-Moon-Earth linkage, see the web page The Unity of the Sun, Earth and Moon.


  • A special issue of Ocean Engineering (Volume 37, Issue 1, Pages 1-154, January 2010) offers "A Forensic Analysis of Hurricane Katrina's Impact: Methods and Findings" which is an extensive analysis of the lessons learned and the full effects of the hurricane.

  • MSNBC photos Especially take note of the links titled "In Katrina's wake", "Massive devastation", and "Hurricane Katrina slams the Gulf Coast."

  • A half-million people became homeless.

  • NOLA.com (New Orleans website) A vast array of pictures that tell the same story are presented here.

  • Space.com NASA satellite photos of New Orleans before and after flooding. See also the NASA Earth Obsveratory images and discussion.

  • Digitalglobe.com provides more before and after photos.

  • The NASA Earth Observatory images and discussion on the effects on Mobil, Alabama. Note that the non-living structures are wiped clean from the landscape. See also their discussion and satellite images of New Orleans.

  • Considering that about 160,000 homes are no longer useable and will or have been demolished, and that there are now gas, chemical, and other poisons, it would be best to leave New Orleans and other totally devastated cities and towns to Nature. See the Discovery.com article, and the TheStar.com story.

  • A Hurricane Katrina slideshow form someone who lived in New Orleans.

  • Hurricanes Destroyed 109 Oil Platforms

  • See the damage done to Sabine Pass, Texas


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    The Myanmar Typhoon of May 2, 2008



    First of all, on April 26, 2008 the sun unleashed a B3-class solar flare that hurled a coronal mass ejection into space, and at mid-phase on May 2, 2008 Typhoon Nargis was suddenly strengthened. It is times like this that the atmosphere is suddenly ionized and the Moon plays a role by triggering particle cascades.

    Again, as in the case of hurricanes like Katrina and the tsunami that struck Indonesia, the typhoon that hit Myanmar did much more damage because mangrove swamps where destroyed by humans. Had they remained, they would have diminshed the power of the typhoon. The storm even went off the usual storm-track course of typhoons and hit the lowlying areas where most of the people and buildings were. As a chief scientist for the International Union for Conservation of Nature indicates, "If you look at the path of the (cyclone) that hit Myanmar, it hit exactly where it was going to do the most damage, and it's doing the most damage because much of the protective vegetation was cleared." This is a lesson that has been ignored repeatedly throughout history, including the present.

    The 10 deadilist cyclones are examples of people not recognizing their role in the devastation. View this slide show of the devastation wrought on Myanmar and be sure to note how Nature is already poised to renew the area's vegetation -- trees and other vegetation grow next to demolsihed buildings --, and eventually, the return of its wildlife. Also see these images and discussion provided by NASA's Earth Observatory showing Cyclone Nargis, and the flooding it caused, as well as those provided by Physorg.com. Eventually, the fallen debris of the landslides blocked rivers, and then heavy rains brought devastating floods displacing more than a million people (includes video footage) -- adding to the millions made homeless by the earthquake itself. What followed was starvation and then a plague of rats, making things all that much worse.




    Other links of interest:


  • Another study shows that wildlife is an important factor in the devastation. Like tsunamis, the importance of thepresence of mangrove forests has been demonstrated in the fact that less people lose their lives when expansive mangrove forests are present along the coasts. See the Physorg.com news item.


  • The Frequency and Intensity of Lightning can Predict the Intensity of Hurricanes. This was noted when lightning occurred in Nargis, the devastating typhoon that hit Burma in 2008. As stated, hurricanes are partly the result of the atmosphere being ionized, which produces lightning. This was discussed in The Vital Vastness. See the Discovery article. See the following two entries, as well.


  • An analysis of the evolution of maximum winds and total lightning frequency were examined in 56 hurricanes around the globe. What was discovered in nearly all of these hurricanes was that lightning frequency and maximum sustained winds are significantly correlated. In addition, maximum sustained winds and minimum pressures in hurricanes are preceeded by increases in lightning activity approximately one day before the peak of the hurricanes intensity. [source: Price, C., Asfur, M., Yair, Y. (2009) Maximum hurricane intensity preceded by increase in lightning frequency. Nature Geoscience Published online: 6 April 2009 | doi:10.1038/ngeo477]. For a news release see this NewScientist.com article.


  • Cyclones have also been shown to produce ice crystals high up in the stratosphere. Again, ionizing radiation would produce a partial vacuum which the upper and much colder atmosphere flows into producing ice crystals. The assumption is that cyclones eject ice into the stratosphere, but this doesn't take into account how this eject takes place and why stratopheric water has increased by 50% in the last 50 years. See the Physorg.com news item.


  • Another study discloses this factor of ionizing radiation in weather events. Sub-atomic particles and upper atmospheric temperature shifts are correlated. The assumption is tht these particles are cosmic and not terrestrial, because this is typically the official perspective. See the sciencedaily.com news release.


  • A study dislcoses the fact that 2008 was the most active year for hurricanes in the 64-year period of record keeping.


  • Hispaniola, the most populated island of the Antilles, between Cuba and Puerto Rico, was hit five times in 2008. It should be noted that the island is in the hurricane track and is west of the North Atlantic Field, which aids in the production of hurricanes. See the NASA Earth Observatory news release.


  • Another mystery is why hurricanes suddenly intensify. Such as Hurricane Bertha in July of 2008. It's sudden intensifying occurred on July 7th, which is the first mid-phase following the solstice and New Moon, showing the Sun-Earth-Moon linkage. The sudden intensifying is the result of the atmosphere being ionized due to this linkage, as Hurricane Bertha was near the North Atlantic Field as the Field became activated. See the NationalGeographic.com article.


  • Surprisingly, while hurricanes are predicted to be more numerous and stronger due to global warming, they actually help to combat global warming by grabbing large amounts of carbon and sink them on the ocean floor.


  • An overview of hurricanes is presented by National Geographic. There is also an overview of all types of "natural" disasters.


  • NASA offers a wealth of information on hurricanes and typhoons, including currently forming storms, at the NASA Hurricane /Tropical Cyclone Web Page.

  • A study shows that hurricanes can destroy oil rigs and plaforms.

  • Powerful hurricanes are getting stronger, and a new study links it to global warming. It seems very likely that hurricane Gustav was intensified by global warming. This has brought out the continuing debate about whether global warming is increasing the powerfulness and numbers of hurricanes. Most scientists, however, indicate that this alone cannot account for the increasing numbers and intensity if hurricanes, and suggest that there may be other factors. As discussed in The Vital Vastness and in the book In Defense of Nature -- The History Nobody Told You About this increase has occurred in the past with the same effects, and is due to an increase in the release of ionizing radiation which feeds hurricanes. This increase is the result of the weakening of the Fields of the Field-dynamical Earth Model (FEM), caused by the destruction of life, which contribute electromagnetic energy to the Field system. Increased solar activity is also a contributing factor in activating the release of ionizing radiation.

  • There are some studies that indicate that hurricanes will be less frequent with global warming, but will likely become more intense. See the BBC srticle. There is also this AP news release.

  • These storms will do much more damage in the future, as for example, the increasing acidity of the oceans, caused by global warming, will kill reefs. This in turn will make hurricanes and typhoons more devastating to the coasts arond the world. See the Grist story.

  • The Presence of Trees (Life) Reduced the Impact of Hurricane Felix. See the Physorg.com news item.

  • Rare Mideast Cyclone Hits the Gulf of Oman and Iran. This is yet another unusual and recent cyclone. Hurricanes also hit Spain, which is near the Mediteranean Field, and another hit Brazil, which is near the Brazilian Field. This one is a product of the Persian Gulf Field intesifying the cyclone. See the News.AOL.com story.

  • Like Hurricanes, Tornadoes also Destroy Lifeless Structures, as did a Tornado that Wiped Out a Kansas Town. See the Livescience.com article. Another hit Enterprise, Alabama with similar results. See the NASA story.

  • The Destruction Caused by Hurricanes and Tsunamis are Very Similar. See the Livescience.com article.

  • Like Many Other Life Forms, Termites Survived Katrina. See the Sciencedaily.com story.

  • Things Will Get Worse along the Gulf Coast with Rising Seas and Silted-Up Rivers. See the Physorg.com article. Also see the next entry.

  • Warmer Ocean Temperatures are Forming in the Areas Where Hurricanes Form, as the Result of Human Activites. Warmer waters aid in intensifying the strength of hurricanes. See the Physorg.com article. Also see the pervious entry.

  • The Toll of Hurricane Katrina was Great, as FEMA Reports. There was 1,300 lost lives, 450,000 people were displaced, $125 billion in damages to all sorts of lifeless structures, and more. See the Sciencedaily.com story.

  • Much like Hurricanes, China was Hit by a Huge Typhoon causing Extensive Damage. Moreover, China was hit by the worst typhoon in 50 years. See the MSNBS story.

  • Many Atlantic Hurricanes Begin Near Northwest Afirca, Close to the Mediterranean Field, and Intensify Near the North Atlantic Field. See the Nationalgeographic.com news story.

  • The Strongest Hurricanes of 2005 were Electrified. Hurricanes are not supposed to have lightning or any strong electrical characteristcs, unlike thunderstorms and tornadoes. Yet, the strongest hurricanes of 2005 were so obviously electrified that the phenomena could be seen from space. In The Vital Vastness -- Volume One the role of ionizing radition in the formation of hurricanes was discussed, and this observation proves that this does take place. See the Physorg.com, Terradaily.com, and NASA.gov articles.

  • Like Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Hurricane Emily Had Extensive Lightning -- the First Time that Lightning has been Observed in Hurricanes. This shows that there is more to the increase in hurricanes and their intensity, and is, in fact, the Field-dynamical Earth Model (FEM) releasing ionizing radiation, which is more responsible than global warming.

  • Ozone Loss Around Hurricanes. This is a result of ionizing radiation that destroys ozone and aids in the generation of hurricanes, as discussed in The Vital Vastness -- Volume One. See the NASA news article.

  • Nature was Needed to Protect Louisianna from Flooding. Wetlands, marshes, sand dunes, and barrier islands are needed, and are being employed, to prevent the flooding of towns near the gulf coast. This shows just how much the events that have been hitting Louisianna and elsewhere along the Gulf Coast and along the southeastern coast are conected to not working with Nature. See the Mercurynews.com AP news story.

  • New Orleans is Sinking, and Nature, including Global Warming Raising Sea Level, will Eventually Reclaim the Area.. In addition, the Levees are also Sinking. [see also, Dixon, T, et al. (2006) Subsidence and flooding in New Orleans. Nature 441-587-588].

  • There are many places in the United States that are prone to flooding.

  • These Hurricanes Were So Much More Powerful that there is Talk of a New Category 6 Hurricane Intensity Designation.

  • "Hurricane Ophelia headed straight for fields of pharmaceutical-producing rice near Plymouth, North Carolina", reads a Newsletter Release from the Union of Concerned Scientists. The unnatural crops were targetted.

  • The Description of a Devastated Gulf Coast Area Paints a Picture of What Took Place.

  • Did Warm Waters Fuel Hurricane Katrina?

  • A Newsday.com article discusses the possibility of a contributing factor of global warming.

  • A PBS.org Nova discussion highlights the possiblity of such a disaster, including the evidence of an increase in numbers and intensity of hurricanes.

  • A Speigel.com article also discusses the evidence of an increase in numbers and intensity of hurricanes.

  • An MIT article also discusses the increase of hurricane intensity over the past 30 years.

  • Another discussion is available on the recent increased numbers, duration and intensification hurricanes and typhoons (i.e., tropical cyclones). [See also Webster, P. J., et al (2005) Changes in Tropical Cyclone Number, Duration, and Intensity in a Warming Environment. Science 309:1844-1846.].

  • Hurricane Wilma had one of the fastest wind speeds ever recorded for an Atlantic hurricane -- at least 185 mph, and probably more. So fast, in fact, where the wind speeds that scientists suggested a new category 6 for hurricanes.

  • Hurricane Historian Says This is the Worst On Record In Many Ways.

  • Researchers Explore the Mystery of Hurricane Formation. Hurricanes begin along the equator near Africa and if conditions are right develop into full-blown hurricanes. The thing is they often intensify in the region of the North Atlantic Field of the Field-dynamical Earth Model, in the Caribbean and Gulf waters. See also, Mapping the Risks of Hurricane Disasters.

  • Many of the toxins now in the water in New Orleans are the result of common urban pollution.


    The same is true of other hurricanes. In Florida, as elsewhere, animals showed a unwavering ability to predict the disaster, stay out of the way, and save themselves. A South Florida Sun-Sentinel author comments, "When Hurricane Charley came within hours of the Caloosahatchee River, eight sharks tagged by biologists suddenly bolted out of the estuary to the safety of the open ocean. When Hurricane Jeanne approached Gainesville, butterflies in an experimental rainforest wedged themselves under rocks and disappeared into tree hollows. And as the whole series of hurricanes churned through the state, birds appeared to delay their migration south, stacking up somewhere north of Florida until the route to their winter habitat was safe. Like the elephants, buffalo and deer of South Asia that fled to high ground well ahead of the [Indonesian] tsunami, many Florida animals have shown they can predict hurricanes and take steps to survive them." A University of Florida wildlife biologist states, "It doesn't make any difference if it's a hurricane, a fire or an earthquake. They apparently sense these things before humans can do that. They start moving away from danger before humans pick it up." See the full story at Kansas.com.



    These photos are examples, of which there are literally hundreds of thousands, of what hurricanes do. Note how the non-living structures are destroyed, but there are trees and bushes still growing. The wild animals have also escaped the ravages of the hurricanes, as well as other disasters. These photos are of hurricane Ivan's destruction of Florida.