Does global warming mean FEWER hurricanes?

Conventional wisdom had been that global warming would mean warmer ocean temperatures, and therefore more hurricanes, although there is some doubt as to whether or not this is happening.

However, I began to privately question that aspect of the theory last summer. Something I'd heard on the Weather Channel last summer made me put together facts I hadn't considered in relation to each other--though I should emphasize that I don't believe it was an idea of theirs as such. Global warming theory predicts that northern Africa will get drier. However, storm systems coming off of Africa are what ultimately form Cape Verde hurricanes. It seems logical to me--though no one else has said this, to my knowledge--that if Africa is drier, there should be fewer storm systems, and, ultimately, fewer Cape Verde hurricanes. It's worth pointing out that that not all hurricanes are Cape Verde systems, many severe storms are. (Gloria, Hugo, Andrew, Frances, and Ivan are notable, recent Cape Verde storms.)

It seems I'm not alone in thinking that global warming doesn't mean more storms are certain--though my Cape Verde-African drought hypothesis is not what the scientists thought of. There are some scientists who think global warming may increase wind shear--which could counteract the effects of warmer ocean temperatures.

If you've read my blog, you'll know I'm cautious on the issue of global warming--both on Earth and other planets. These new questions about the hurricane predictions of global warming theory undercut one of the most alarming aspects of the theory. The bottom line here is what I've always been saying--panicking about global warming is counterproductive. Environmental policy should be based on facts, not alarm.