The Future of Our Climate: How Political Complacency is Fueling Catastrophe

During his time in office, former President—and now President-elect—Trump dismantled nearly 100 climate and environmentally-friendly policies. Post-Helene, he even called climate change “one of the great scams” during his re-election campaign, all while standing among the wreckage of Valdosta, Georgia. By popular vote, Americans chose complacency in the face of the climate crisis—either dismissing the very concept of climate change or feigning ignorance. The American people voted for an incoming administration that promised to ignore climate change, continuing the normalization of an increasingly abnormal climate.

The toll of Hurricane Helene is still unknown, with recovery efforts still struggling amid catastrophic destruction. In Asheville and other inland mountain communities in western North Carolina, unprecedented flooding devastated communities, with floodwaters reaching rooftops—flooding so extreme that residents didn’t even know they were in harm’s way. Florida’s Big Bend emerged battered, bruised, and waterlogged. Many across the Southeastern U.S. lost everything, sometimes even their lives.

Before these communities could begin to recover, Milton emerged from the Gulf. In 12 hours, it intensified from a Category 1 to a Category 5 storm, highlighting how “once-in-a-generation” events are happening in rapid succession. This is not normal.

Senator Marco Rubio (R), likely to be named Secretary of State under the new administration, called Milton Florida’s worst-case scenario. He was right—but his long-standing climate change denialism and his opposition to policies that could help curb emissions and increase disaster relief make him part of the problem. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), already stretched thin between Helene and Milton, faces greater challenges as warming waters fuel more destructive storms. While no single storm can be solely attributed to climate change, the frequency and severity of these events are clear, and the human and economic cost continue to mount.

As someone with roots in the Sunshine State, the lead-up to Milton haunted me. The “what-ifs” lingered over me daily until I heard reports of tornados tearing through Florida. The weight of it all hit me, and I found myself in tears at a crowded airport terminal. Growing up in Florida, I thought basements were the coolest—an underground “secret” floor for games and sleepovers. But my mom explained that Florida’s high water table made basements impractical. The very ground we lived on made it nearly impossible to shelter underground. Then Milton’s tornadoes ripped through the state, showing just how destructive these storms can be. One EF3 tornado destroyed a retirement community in Fort Pierce, killing five. Milton eventually made landfall as a powerful Category 3 storm.

The hottest years on record have all come in the past decade. Our perception of what constitutes “normal” weather is shifting, as people recalibrate what counts as unusual based on their experiences over just a few years. Many people, especially in the Southeast, now say things like, “I’ve never seen anything like that in all my years.” The climate has changed, and we are only now beginning to acknowledge it. But for many born after 1984, there’s never been a month cooler than the historical average. This is not normal.

The 2019 failure of the “Green New Deal”—the boldest attempt in decades to shift away from fossil fuels—highlighted the federal government’s decades of failure on climate action. Even Kamala Harris, a self-described advocate for clean energy, supported fracking and touted the Biden administration’s record of domestic fossil fuel production. The Democratic Party’s contradictory climate stance—claiming to fight Big Oil while backing fossil fuel production—exemplifies how deeply the normalization of fossil fuel dependence has taken root.

I no longer live in Florida, and neither do my parents. When I spoke to my mother just hours before Milton’s landfall, we agreed that weather like this was why we left—and haven’t looked back. Severe storms wear down the mental health of Floridians, and many fear their communities, livelihoods, and lives are next. I worry for my friends.

We’ve reached a crossroads. We could have embraced the climate action and resilience championed by the Biden administration, but instead, we chose complacency. We allowed the continued entrenchment of fossil fuel interest, and the next administration promises to further weaken agencies like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and FEMA.

“The American people voted for an incoming administration that promised to ignore climate change, continuing the normalization of an increasingly abnormal climate.”

Climate change can no longer be solved with half-hearted gestures. We need strong, enforceable policies. But when super PACs bankrolled by the Koch brothers pour almost $160 million into pro-oil Senate candidates ahead of the 2024 election, it’s clear that powerful corporate interests are stifling meaningful climate action. The Inflation Reduction Act, while offering financial incentives for climate goals, does little to actively shift away from fossil fuels. This is neoliberal climate governance—corporate greed and political maneuvering that undermine real progress.

However, we still have choices to make. The window is closing, but there’s still time to act if we make the right decisions. Hope is powerful, but we must hold accountable both those who profit from oil and ourselves as civic actors, for enabling climate change and supporting political platforms that sustain fossil fuel interests.

This is a climate emergency. The world passed the 1.5°C threshold in February. The climate crisis is unfolding before our eyes, demanding the urgency and commitment we would give to a world war. If we continue to pump emissions and dismantle climate protections, how long until we’re all living on the frontlines of climate disaster?

This is not normal.

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