So: Dolly, which is now lashing southern Texas as a borderline Category 1/Category 2 storm, wasn't the big one. It wasn't a Katrina or a Rita--a storm capable of shutting down all Gulf oil production. On the other hand, if you're the type to worry then it's not irrelevant that we're staring down what could be a very bad hurricane season--and one Gulf storm in the wrong place could lead to a dramatic gas price spike. Given the vulnerability of our economy right now, that's not something we could easily handle. My latest Science Progress column, entitled "The Perfect Storm," addresses this topic--just one more way of illustrating how vulnerable we are because of our dependence on oil.
