East Coast Snowmageddon bad for the environment

Even the environment is sometimes bad for the environment.

When cold weather and huge amounts of snow hit a region – like recently on the East Coast, dubbed “Snowmageddon” by President Obama – it takes a tremendous amount of resources to adapt.

Road crews drop thousands of tons of salt to keep ice off the roads. Plowers come from hundreds of miles away to help clear high-priority urban roads. Heating systems go into overdrive to keep in-door temperatures up. Consumers rush to stores for emergency provisions.

Storm like the one that was projected for Maryland and Virginia are actually referred to as emergencies by the National Weather Service. In this case, the National Guard was even called in to help in the cause.

Gas and oil prices were through the roof in the region because of higher than normal demand, not only hurting the environment but pocket books as well.

It may seem like there might actually be some energy savings involved as a result of a massive snowstorm, but even that might not be true.

Although 230,000 homes were said to be without power in the Washington area, many residents will find other sources such as gas guzzling generators. Those that go without electricity will have to replace what’s in their refrigerators and freezers if the power doesn’t come back on in time.

There’s not a lot that can be done about Mother Nature’s actions. All we can do is react, and try to be better prepared for the next time. It’s almost like a very, very small-scale Haiti. To be ready for a storm or an earthquake, the right infrastructure has to be in place.

That means power lines that can handle the weight of snow and a somehow finding a mode of transportation that doesn’t require huge surface areas prone to be dangerous when it snows.