The political peril of fire and flood

Trump-addled politicians who ignore voters' growing awareness of climate change risk their careers -- not to mention their reputations

Climate change makes a world of wildfires, floods and brutal storms ever more common. When will politicians catch up with public sentiment for action? (Photo by Marcus Kauffman on Unsplash)

On a group call with people from all over the country the other day, there was small talk at the start — that’s Zoom protocol now, isn’t it? — and some folks from the Northeast were complaining about the incessant drenching rain and weeks of washed-out summer plans. Then came a quiet voice from the West. Please stop, she said; I can’t hear about the rain, because we haven’t had any for so long, and I’m worried that a wildfire is going to engulf my home.

So it is: The increasingly extreme weather patterns are frustrating for some of us and terrifying for others. One-third of the country is burning up, another third is only parched and a third is drowning, and it’s just not a typical summer. We have always known that we reap what we sow, but now we shudder at the realization (among everybody who is hon…