A string of extreme weather incidents is dispelling some persistent American myths.
 | By Eliza Barclay Climate Editor, Opinion |
Minnesota. New Hampshire. Vermont. These are the states that often appear on internet lists of places one might consider "safe" from the scariest impacts of climate change, like megafires, supercharged hurricanes and creeping sea-level rise. |
Yet as the Vermonter Jonathan Mingle, who rode out this week's record-breaking rainfall with his family in the town of Lincoln, wrote in a guest essay, the belief that any place in America is truly safe from the effects of rapid heating is what he calls "a hangover of sorts from the Manifest Destiny era." |
Vermont took an especially big hit from rain this week because the storm carried moisture from fast-warming seas 1,000 miles south. The several inches of rainfall that landed on already saturated ground inundated towns throughout the state, as well as much of its capital, Montpelier. |
The floodwaters have damaged thousands of homes and businesses, and the recovery in some places will take months. "As the floodwaters recede, the notion that any place could be somehow insulated from extreme weather and the ravages of a warming climate should be swept away, too, for good," Mingle wrote. |
Here's what our readers are saying: |
It's time for our president to make a major address to the nation about climate change. We need to hear a bold plan for what should happen now, how to make it happen, and what each and every person can do, including stopgap measures like clean carbon-capture technology, massive investment in renewables, changes in agriculture and meat production, financial repayments by fossil fuel companies, and more. We need to hear a compelling challenge and commitment that Americans will heartily strive to meet. Just as our society stepped forward during WW II for the war effort, this is every bit as serious. — LeighD, Vermont |
We need a Department of Weather and Climate Change Defense. The "soldiers" in this department would be tasked with fighting fires, building dikes, constructing underground living areas, and delivering emergency assistance, among other duties. — Larry, St. Paul, Minn. |
Almost 20 years ago I watched "An Inconvenient Truth" by Al Gore. The film went into great detail of what would come due to climate change. We are here, at this deadly juncture. There is no turning back. I made a decision to limit my consumption of everything and limit my plane travel as much as I could. I also moved into a smaller home and plant as many pollinators as I can. I am not naive to think this will make any major impact, however it allows me to know that I have done what I can and hopefully be an example to others. Over consumption is literally killing us. A simpler life never hurt anyone and brings more joy and peace than any latest gadget or fad. — Cate M, Midwest |
Here's what we're focusing on today: |
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