Climate Change: The Bottom Line
Recent polls conclude that a full three-quarters of Republicans prioritize the economy over addressing climate change. Up 13% since 2018! In fact, they say that climate change either would not affect their communities at all or the effect would be a minor one.
Tell that to the families of 230 dead (and counting) across six states in the wake of Hurricane Helene. Explain how the economy trumps climate change to the thousands who have lost their homes, the 100,000 who are without water and the million-plus people without power. And these are just preliminary figures as I write. In the days following the disaster, AccuWeather estimated that the cost of Hurricane Helene would exceed $200 billion— this number includes rebuilding homes and infrastructure, as well as the loss of wages and economic output during the rebuild. Unfortunately, almost none of that money will be paid out by insurance, since very few residents held flood policies.
