What Will We Do?
Last year, I was invited to a brainstorming session on climate change with prominent environmental leaders and academics. Our specific angle: The 2024 election.
To my surprise, one of the academic superstars shared a bold forecast:
“First,” he said, “it’s extremely likely that there will be a catastrophic hurricane that badly damages the US in the months immediately before the election.”
His conviction about this matter caught me off guard. I decided to see what else he knew.
“Where exactly?” I asked.
“Florida,” he responded, with a certainty that spooked me.
Then he made a second prediction.
“The hurricane will be so severe that it will shock voters. Enough of them will change their minds and switch their vote to the candidate with the most credible climate program. And he will win.” (Of course, he had President Biden in mind).
I pushed back.
“We’ve had prior catastrophic events—Katrina, Sandy, disastrous forest fires, orange-tainted smoke-filled skies over NYC. Those didn’t seem to change what voters do.”
“This next one will be worse,” he said. “Watch out.”
Now, here we are.
You don’t need me to confirm he was right—at least about the weather prediction. Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc and destruction. And just as I was thinking he got the location slightly wrong, Helene was immediately followed by Milton barreling through Florida.