Elected officials must be held accountable, now and in the future, for the lives lost in disasters brought on by increasingly extreme weather
||| FROM MICHAEL BLOOMBERG at BLOOMBERG.COM |||
The tragic news out of central Texas has been heartbreaking, but it’s also been maddening — because so many lives could have been saved if elected officials had done their jobs. They owe the families who lost loved ones — the death toll from the Fourth of July floods is now at more than 100 — more than thoughts and prayers. They owe them a sincere commitment to righting their deadly wrong, by tackling the problem they’ve turned their backs on for too long: climate change.
The scientific evidence is clear that the more frequent extreme weather we are experiencing is being driven by climate change — and that it’s only going to get worse. As the director of the Texas Center for Extreme Weather at Texas A&M University put it, the storms and flooding in central Texas are “exactly what the future is going to hold.” And yet so many elected officials are pretending otherwise.
The latest episode of horrific flooding isn’t just about a natural disaster in one state. It’s also about a political failure that’s been happening in states across the country, and most of all in Washington. The refusal to recognize that climate change carries a death penalty is sending innocent people, including far too many children, to early graves.
Nearly a year ago, Hurricane Helene caused devastating flooding in western North Carolina that killed more than 100 people. A few months later, wildfires in California killed 30 people and destroyed thousands of homes and businesses. This month, the death and destruction of climate change came to Texas. Where will be next? No place is safe.
Not every life can be spared from climate change, unfortunately, but many more could be saved if elected officials stopped pretending that they’re powerless to do anything about it. The fact is: Climate change is a manageable problem with practical solutions. Those solutions will not only save lives, but they will also improve our health, reduce our energy bills and create more jobs. The longer these officials pretend otherwise, the more the public will suffer, and the more people will die. And yet what are those in power in Washington doing? Worse than nothing: They are actively thwarting efforts to address climate change and help communities cope with its harms.
The Trump administration has erased the words “climate change” — and critical climate data and information — from government websites, as if the problem could be wished away. It is attempting to roll back the Environmental Protection Agency’s obligation to fight climate change. And it has put lives at risk by canceling grants to local communities to help them prepare for the effects of climate change — and by cutting essential positions at the National Weather Service that help communities prepare and respond to disasters, leaving the weather service’s offices in the areas around the flooding short-staffed.
Last week, the administration even proposed eliminating a research office that plays a critical role in forecasting extreme weather. And that’s not the end of it.
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“The fact is: Climate change is a manageable problem with practical solutions.”
That’s funny. Delusional, but funny. Thanks for the laugh, Michael Bloomberg.
Ms. Robson, as we know from the historical record the climate has continually changed. I too am skeptical that it can be “managed” by feeble hominids, better to throw a pinch of salt over our left shoulder.
“Most institutions demand unqualified faith; but the institution of science makes skepticism a virtue.” — OK
Phil, it has indeed. However, it is now changing faster than any other time in the past and far too fast for species to adapt thanks to two things: destroying the land (which emits CO2 and other greenhouse gases) and burning fossil fuels.
During previous climate changes within human prehistoric time, humans were highly mobile (living in bands that could pick up and move when the climate no longer suited). For the past 10,000 years (i.e. all of human civilization) until now, the climate has been remarkably stable. Now, we are changing that, fast.
Mostly, though, I was laughing at the “practical solutions” part. Bloomberg is in the business of selling things to people and as we’ve seen, the reason people (corporations) focus on the climate change planetary boundary rather than many others we’ve crossed, is because they’ve managed to convince people there are “practical solutions”. This is, of course, BS designed to sell us more industrial technology and to keep their stocks high via industry and PR.
Why choose a random article from a left, leaning source to reprint in the Orcasonian? Especially one that tries to politicize a disaster in Texas. Science is an excellent tool by which truth can be sought. Undeniable truth can only be determined when all variables are considered fully. Supporting a narrative by picking and choosing what science to use is not acceptable. Believing a narrative without considering all bodies of scientific knowledge requires faith. Promoting such a narrative should not be the role of an independent new source for a community.
Don’t know if some people consider Capitalism left or right leaning…
But insurance companies are making a lot of changes because they must pay attention to their bottom line.
“Homeowners insurance companies are increasingly viewing climate change as a significant and growing risk, leading to higher premiums, restricted coverage, and even withdrawal from high-risk areas. The increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, like hurricanes, wildfires, and floods, are directly impacting insurers’ payouts and forcing them to re-evaluate their risk assessments.
Here’s a more detailed look:
1. Increased Risk and Higher Premiums:
Climate change is causing more frequent and severe natural disasters, leading to more insurance claims and higher costs for insurers.
To offset these increased costs, insurance companies are raising premiums for homeowners, particularly in areas deemed high-risk.
Some insurers are also increasing deductibles or limiting coverage in high-risk areas.
2. Changes in Underwriting Practices:
Insurers are adopting more sophisticated climate risk modeling techniques, moving beyond traditional actuarial analysis that relies on historical data.
They are assessing factors like a property’s resilience to extreme weather (e.g., fire-resistant roofing, flood-proofing) when determining premiums and coverage.
This means that homes in areas vulnerable to climate-related risks may face higher premiums or limited coverage.
3. Reduced Availability of Coverage:
In some cases, insurers are reducing or even ceasing coverage in high-risk areas, effectively making it difficult or impossible for homeowners to obtain insurance.
This is particularly true in areas with high wildfire risk or those prone to frequent flooding.
Some insurers have stopped writing new policies in certain states or regions altogether.
4. Increased Focus on Mitigation and Resilience:
Insurers are encouraging homeowners to make their properties more resilient to climate-related risks through incentives like discounts for implementing storm-proofing measures.
This includes things like installing hurricane-resistant windows, reinforcing roofs, and elevating foundations.
Some companies are even offering incentives for homeowners to relocate from high-risk areas.
5. Potential for “Climate Migration”:
As insurance costs rise and coverage becomes more limited, some homeowners may be forced to relocate from high-risk areas.
This concept of “climate migration” is being seriously considered by insurers, real estate professionals, and policymakers.
6. Impact on Home Values:
The rising cost and reduced availability of homeowners insurance can negatively impact property values in high-risk areas.
If homes are perceived as uninsurable, potential buyers may be reluctant to purchase them, leading to a decline in property values.
In summary, climate change is a major concern for the insurance industry, leading to increased costs, reduced coverage, and potential market disruptions. Homeowners are facing higher premiums, limited coverage, and potentially even the need to relocate from high-risk areas. “
Shame on anyone who uses loss and death for any political view or climate change or not.
I have watched the last few weeks of people using others pain for their own gain in political views.
Shame on you and others who use an agenda in the death and destruction.
Humanity needs to do better.
“Why choose a random article from a left, leaning source to reprint in the Orcasonian?” “Supporting a narrative by picking and choosing what science to use is not acceptable.”
Ron, though you are free to submit an article of your choosing for entry into the Orcasonian, when making such claims it would be helpful if you were to at least highlight an article or two from one of your trusted sources that supports your scientifically backed narrative.
“Shame on anyone who uses loss and death for any political view or climate change or not.”
Melissa, perhaps I don’t understand your comment… if not, please clarify. Many of the looming existential problems of our times are bi-partisan in nature and are worthy of politicization. It seems perfectly logical to me to report on the Texas tragedy, (or any other weather / climate related tragedy), in the sense of it being a product of climate change, (which is only a part of ecological overshoot), and identify it as the political / sociological / environmental problem that it is. Though up until now we’ve been suffering from bipartisan piecemeal attempts to make it look like we’re doing something meaningful about climate change and ecological overshoot, (while we’ve been continually shoving it under the rug), at this late stage in the game it’s both impossible to deny that we are experiencing significant increases in weather related anomalies that are resulting in catastrophic mass mortality events involving people, plant and animal species, while at the same time it is also quite evident that the current administration is making all attempts to defund every aspect of our climate change research, reporting, and response mechanisms.
Instead of continuing to shove this under the rug, isn’t environmental overshoot something that we– that is, you, me, and our elected officials should be talking about everyday? Let me rephrase that, “environmental overshoot IS something that we– that is, you, me, and our elected officials should be talking about everyday.” I mean, how much science do we we need?
The World Economic Forum– Climate Crisis May Cause 14.5 Million Deaths by 2050
“A new World Economic Forum report, published today, warns that by 2050 climate change may cause an additional 14.5 million deaths and $12.5 trillion in economic losses worldwide.”
https://www.weforum.org/press/2024/01/wef24-climate-crisis-health/
Yale Climate Connections– Climate change played a role in killing tens of thousands of people in 2023 – And that’s an extremely conservative estimate
“It’s impossible to accurately calculate the number of people who died in 2023 as a result of climate change. But a review of data suggests that, at minimum, tens of thousands of people died in climate-change-influenced weather events around the world last year.”
https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2024/04/climate-change-likely-killed-tens-of-thousands-of-people-in-2023/
NPR– Climate change is deadly. Exactly how deadly? The Undercount: The invisible death toll from climate change.
“The definitive federal accounting of climate change’s impacts in the United States, the National Climate Assessment, estimates that upward of 1,300 people die in the U.S. each year due to heat alone and that extreme floods, hurricanes and wildfires routinely kill hundreds more. But those numbers are rough estimates.”
https://www.npr.org/2024/06/10/nx-s1-4842299/climate-disasters-death-tolls
World Health Organization (WHO)– Climate change
“Research shows that 3.6 billion people already live in areas highly susceptible to climate change. Between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to cause approximately 250 000 additional deaths per year, from undernutrition, malaria, diarrhea and heat stress alone.”
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/climate-change-and-health
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)– Sixth Assessment Report (AR6)
“Climate change has caused substantial damages, and increasingly irreversible losses, in terrestrial, freshwater, cryospheric, and coastal and open ocean ecosystems (high confidence). Hundreds of local losses of species have been driven by increases in the magnitude of heat extremes with mass mortality events recorded on land and in the ocean. Between 2010 and 2020, human mortality from floods, droughts and storms was 15 times higher in highly vulnerable regions, compared to regions with very low vulnerability.”
https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/syr/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_SYR_SPM.pdf
Science is apolitical and the basic research process involves skepticism of findings by other researchers in that field in reputable juried journals. Skepticism of scientific findings that have been properly challenged and not rebuked become settled science and to deny those findings is purposeful ignorance. Using settled science to debate political, social, environmental, technical, historical or biological issues is one of the most powerful aspects of modern civilization.
As Janet points out the insurance industry is all about risk and the risk of larger and perhaps more frequent natural disasters is increasing across the globe based upon increasingly violent weather events fueled by increasing sea and air temperatures and long established physio-chemical principles.
Prediction of exactly when and where is always difficult but without science based forecasting and COMMON SENSE humanity and developed landscapes are at a higher risk every year. In the arctic and subarctic this has been unfolding for 50 years and I lived it.
The current administration is playing Russian Roulette with all cylinders loaded and is guaranteeing that the worst outcomes of extreme climate warming will plague humanity for an eternity. I imagine that in a half a century, give or take, the leaders in society and industry who currently refuse to recognize reality and thereby sentence us all to terrible trial and tribulation will be forever remembered as the Unforgiven.
There’s a thin line between ignorance (not knowing), and stupidity (not wanting to know). When it comes to the greatest challenges of our times– climate change / ecological overshoot, tax-payer assisted genocide, wars w/o end, obeying international law, etc., etc., etc. there are many, our elected leaders included, who have and continue to exhibit symptoms of the latter.