climate reckoning 2024 presidential election

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The next president will face a climate reckoning

The climate crisis is battering the U.S., but the presidential debate barely touched on the issue, leaving many questions unanswered as Americans grapple with wildfires, hurricanes, and extreme heat.

Zoë Schlanger reports for The Atlantic.

In short:

Extreme weather events, including wildfires and hurricanes, are causing widespread damage, yet presidential candidates have provided few concrete plans for addressing these disasters.
The insurance industry is fleeing high-risk areas, leaving millions without coverage as climate impacts worsen, but this crisis remains largely ignored in political discussions.
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump offer vague climate positions, with Harris focused on building on Biden’s climate policies and Trump advocating for more oil drilling.

Key quote:

“We can deal with this issue.”

— Kamala Harris, Vice President

Why this matters:

The climate crisis is no longer some distant, theoretical problem. It's here, smacking us in the face with wildfires, hurricanes, heatwaves, and floods. Regardless of their stance on climate policy, the next leader will have to answer for how they will protect American lives in the face of a changing, and increasingly hostile, environment. Read more: We mobilized to defend the EPA in Trump's first term. This time the stakes are even higher.

www.theatlantic.com

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