Your Say: After Sandy, rebuild smarter

Comments from Facebook:

FLOOD INSURANCE

I'm sorry for people who lost their homes because of flooding caused by Superstorm Sandy, but there shouldn't be homes out on those barrier islands and sand bars. And for the federal government to be involved, it's ridiculous to allow them to rebuild on our dime. That's my tax dollars they're using. It happens time and time again, and it's got to stop.

Lg Gibson

I understand the frustration, but you can't say don't build in zones that are more prone to flooding. That's like saying don't allow people to rebuild in areas prone to tornadoes.

I'm not saying it is right, but how many cities would no longer exist if they weren't rebuilt?

Robin McIntosh

This is just like New Orleans. Don't people realize that these areas are not only flood prone, but also hurricane prone? As Albert Einstein said, insanity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results.

Ryan Vanek

The government should get out of the flood insurance gig. Then you would see where private insurers wouldn't even think of trying to provide coverage.

James Brost

POWER GRID

In summer 2003, the Northeast lost power, in addition to parts of Canada. That was due to overload or some malfunction. It's time to bring the power grid into the 21st century.

Scott Lawrence

If you want to bury power lines, knock yourself out. But don't bother us with demands for upgraded grids, smart grids designed to allow power companies to charge residential users more for using electricity during peak hours.

As in many other so-called emergencies, I am sure environmental activists are trying to take advantage of the moment and figure out how to make that happen because of this.

Sal Esman

Letter to the editor:

Superstorm Sandy is another data point — a very costly data point — underscoring that climate change is a systemic cause of these catastrophes. After this year's fire, drought and crop failures, have we gotten the message? Are we suffering enough yet?

Systemic causation is is not junk science. We understand that smoking is a systemic cause of lung cancer. Dumping carbon into the atmosphere is a systemic cause of climate change, leading to massive disruptions in our natural and economic worlds. Some voices disagree, but it would be foolish to cross our fingers and hope the oil and coal industry know best.

We can turn a problem into opportunity with an elegant solution that harnesses the power of markets and businesses.

First we factor in the true cost of burning fossil fuels by gradually instituting a fee on carbon. Second, we use that revenue to pay equal dividends to American households. Meanwhile the businesses race to reap profits from alternatives that meet America's needs for safe energy. It's a win-win.

Mark Coats; Austin