A few years back, the North Carolina legislature infamously voted to effectively ban discussion of sea level rise and climate change in any development planning. I mentioned this in a blog last month and assumed I wouldn’t have any reason to bring it up again. Au contraire.
Two stories crossed my virtual desk recently that showed how far some governments can stick their heads in the sand.
First, Australia asked the United Nations to scrub any mention of the damage to the Great Barrier Reef in a UNESCO report on World Heritage sites. And that damage, according to other stories recently, is vast: up to 35% of the great natural wonder is already bleached or dead. Apparently the Australian Department of the Environment was worried that any reports of the state of the reef would hurt tourism. I guess they’re safe since scuba divers can’t possibly take pictures, and there’s no way for tourists to get the news out.
Ok, on to Louisiana and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). New maps from FEMA apparently indicate that most of New Orleans is safe from flooding, including some areas that are already below sea level. According to an article in the New York Times by Andy Horowitz, a historian and expert on Hurricane Katrina, the new flood maps “reflect the most optimistic possible assessment.” The maps, he says, mean homeowners don’t have to buy flood insurance, and thus insurance rates fall and property values rise.
And of this sounds great in theory…until there’s another big storm. Horowitz’ take on this folly is worth the read. It highlights for me how often we rely on wishful thinking to avoid dealing with the real consequences of more frequent extreme weather.
I know climate change is scary, and tackling it is daunting. But I’m sure that pretending it’s not happening won’t help. In fact, the more we can accept the tough realities and their ramifications, the greater chance we can get consensus and real action.
(Andrew’s book, The Big Pivot, was named a Best Business Book of the Year by Strategy+Business Magazine! Get your copy here. See also Andrew’s TED talk on The Big Pivot.
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