In reading about coastal flooding, I’m reminded of how easy it is for us to respond to emergencies and how difficult it is for us to avoid the problem in the first place. Global warming and the consequences — sea-level rise, catastrophic wildfires and deadly heat waves — have all been predicted for 30 years. Yet magical thinking and denial have taken the place of preventative actions. Even now, after a summer of extreme heat and fire in Europe and with a historic El Niño on our doorstep, the roads are full of gasoline-powered vehicles and power plants still burn fossil fuels. We have taken baby steps. And regardless of whether or not disaster has visited you directly, anyone who pays an insurance premium is paying the price. We are sleepwalking into a world that is changing for the worse and all we seem to do is put our fingers in the dike.
— Neil Meyer, Escondido