The HHS Climate Action Plan emphasizes resilience without adequately addressing prevention.
Resilience policies overlook the pervasive and constant health threats posed by climate change.
The approach may lead to accepting climate disasters as inevitable, rather than preventable.
Key quote:
"Resilience is the categorical imperative of business-as-usual; it is crisis managers buying time. For others, resilience is exhausting."
— Ajay Singh Chaudhary, author of The Exhausted of the Earth.
Why this matters:
Focusing solely on resilience without prevention leaves populations, especially the vulnerable, in perpetual danger. This approach risks normalizing climate disasters instead of aiming to mitigate them.
The Biden administration is overhauling the country’s disaster assistance programs, expanding aid for survivors of hurricanes, wildfires and other catastrophes and making it easier to access.
Born out of BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the federally funded phone line offers help to those experiencing emotional distress after a disaster or violent event — and has seen calls skyrocket in recent years thanks to accelerating climate-fueled disasters and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Texas rates have increased 22% on average so far in 2023, twice the national rate. More billion-dollar disasters have occurred in Texas this year than any other year on record.
