<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
	<head>
		<!-- Chartbeat 1 of 2 -->
		<script type='text/javascript'>var _sf_startpt=(new Date()).getTime()</script>

	<title>Hurricane Harvey is America's climate future</title>
	<link rel="P3Pv1" href="/w3c/p3p.xml"/>
	<link rel="shortcut icon" href="https://theweek.com/favicon.ico">
	<link href="//theweek.com/rss.xml" type="application/rss+xml" rel="alternate" title="theweek.com" />

			<!-- Start Typekit -->
	<script type="text/javascript" src="//use.typekit.net/xia0rvc.js"></script>
	<script type="text/javascript">try{Typekit.load();}catch(e){}</script>
<script>
!function(a9,a,p,s,t,A,g){if(a[a9])return;function q(c,r){a[a9]._Q.push([c,r])}a[a9]={init:function(){q("i",arguments)},fetchBids:function()
{q("f",arguments)},setDisplayBids:function(){},_Q:[]};A=p.createElement(s);A.async=!0;A.src=t;g=p.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];g.parentNode.insertBefore( A,g)}("apstag",window,document,"script","//c.amazon-adsystem.com/aax2/apstag.js");
apstag.init({ pubID: '3198',
adServer: 'googletag' });
</script>
	
	<meta property="fb:pages" content="10716057521" />
    <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=Edge"/>
	<meta content="Official site of The Week Magazine, offering commentary and analysis of the day's breaking news and current events as well as arts, entertainment, people and gossip, and political cartoons." name="description">
	<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
	
		   

                                                                                                           
       <link rel="canonical" href="http://theweek.com/articles/720740/hurricane-harvey-americas-climate-future" >
       <meta name="keywords" content="feature, Politics, liberal, opinion, U.S.">
	   <meta property="og:url" content="http://theweek.com/articles/720740/hurricane-harvey-americas-climate-future"/>
	   <meta property="og:title" content="Hurricane Harvey is America's climate future"/>
	   <meta property="og:type" content="article"/>
	    <meta property="og:description" content="We're twiddling our thumbs while an enormous threat gathers"/>
	   	   <meta property="article:published_time" content="2017-08-28T05:55:02-04:00"/>
	   	   	   <meta property="og:image" content="http://api.theweek.com/sites/default/files/styles/tw_image_9_4/public/RTX3DGQO_harvey.jpg?itok=QtNLBCOC"/>
	   
        		
        			
	   		  	   	                                   
     

            <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image">
            <meta name="twitter:site" content="@theweek">
            <meta name="twitter:title" content="Hurricane Harvey is America's climate future"/>
                        <meta name="twitter:creator" content="@ryanlcooper">
                        <meta name="twitter:image" content="http://api.theweek.com/sites/default/files/styles/tw_image_9_4/public/RTX3DGQO_harvey.jpg?itok=QtNLBCOC" />
            <meta name="twitter:description" content="We're twiddling our thumbs while an enormous threat gathers
" />
        
    
	        <link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/fda1945.css" />
    
        <!--[if IE 7]>
	<style>
    .header-wrapper{position:relative;}
    .border-header{margin-top:70px;}
    div.module-330 .speed-reads-logo { clear: both; }
    .most-popular .mp-element {float:left;}
    </style><![endif]-->
    <!--[if lte IE 6]>
	<style>
    .header-wrapper{position:relative;}
    .border-header{margin-top:70px;}
     div.module-330 .speed-reads-logo { clear: both; }
     .most-popular .mp-element {float:left;}
		</style>
    <![endif]-->
    
    		<script src="//code.jquery.com/jquery-1.10.1.min.js"></script>
	    <script src="//code.jquery.com/ui/1.10.3/jquery-ui.min.js"></script>
		<script src="//code.jquery.com/jquery-migrate-1.2.1.min.js"></script>
				<script type="text/javascript" src="/js/5040ba6.js"></script>
		
    
    		
	</head>

<body class="append-mat" >
<div id="cssjsconfig"></div>
				<script>
																	/**
			 * AdManager allows for global targeting parameters
			 * that will be applied to all Ads written
			 */
			AdManager.setGlobalTarget('dev', '0')
						.setGlobalTarget('sponsored', '0')
						.setGlobalTarget('preview', '0')
						.setGlobalTargets({'breakpoint': TheWeek.getCurrentDevice()});
			</script>
			
	<script>
			var articleID = 720740;
			var separation  = 6
			AdManager.setGlobalTargets({
				'aid': '720740',
				'tags': 'feature,Politics,liberal,opinion,U.S.',
				'url': '/articles/720740/hurricane-harvey-americas-climate-future',
				'separation': separation.toString(),
			});
	</script>
			

<div class="out-of-page-ad promo_subs_unit">
    <div class="inner-container">
    <div id="close-oop-ad-btn" class="close-ad-btn show-for-small-only">&times;</div>
    <div class="oop-ad promo-subs-unit show-for-large-only"
        id="div-gpt-ad-1422997770192-0-oop"
        data-ad-id="div-gpt-ad-1422997770192-0-oop"
        data-targets="inventory:btf;position:999;placement:TW_Article_D_999;"
        data-device="desktop">
    </div>
    <div class="oop-ad promo-subs-unit show-for-medium-only"
        id="div-gpt-ad-1422997770192-0-oop"
        data-ad-id="div-gpt-ad-1422997770192-0-oop"
        data-targets="inventory:btf;position:999;placement:TW_Article_T_999;"
        data-device="tablet">
    </div>
    <div class="oop-ad promo-subs-unit-mob show-for-small-only"
        id="div-gpt-ad-1422997770192-0-oop"
        data-ad-id="div-gpt-ad-1422997770192-0-oop"
        data-targets="inventory:btf;position:999;placement:TW_Article_M_999;"
        data-device="mobile">
    </div>
    </div>
</div>

<script type="text/javascript">

    AdManager.writeAdBySelector('.oop-ad', true);

    window.googletag.cmd.push(function() {
        if(window.googletag && googletag.pubadsReady) {

            var isMobile = TheWeek.getCurrentDevice() == 'mobile' ? true : false,
                isTablet = TheWeek.getCurrentDevice() == 'tablet' ? true : false,
                isDesktop = TheWeek.getCurrentDevice() == 'desktop' ? true : false,
                closeBtn = jQuery('#close-oop-ad-btn');
                oopAdMobile = jQuery('.out-of-page-ad');

            if( isMobile ) {

                googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function(event) {
                    k = event.slot.getSlotElementId();
                    var adSize = event.size[0] + 'x' + event.size[1];

                    if (k.indexOf('div-gpt-ad-14229977701') != -1){
                        if (adSize == '300x50' || adSize == '320x50') {

                            oopAdMobile.addClass('slide-up');

                            setTimeout(function() {
                                if (oopAdMobile.hasClass('slide-up')) {
                                    oopAdMobile.addClass('slide-down').removeClass('slide-up');
                                }
                            }, 20000);

                            closeBtn.click(function() {
                                if (oopAdMobile.hasClass('slide-up')) {
                                    oopAdMobile.addClass('slide-down').removeClass('slide-up');
                                }
                            });
                        }
                    }
                });
            }
        }
    });

</script>
	
	<script>
		jQuery(function(){
																				AdManager.writeAllAds();
																		});
		</script>

	
					<script>var threeLinksSubscribe = true;</script>
						<script type="text/javascript" src="/js/60d13ef.js"></script>
			
		<script>
		dataLayer = [{ 'device': TheWeek.getCurrentDevice() }];
			
dataLayer.push({
    'article.tags': "[feature,Politics,liberal,opinion,U.S.]",
    'article.headline': "Hurricane Harvey is America's climate future",
    'article.url': "http://theweek.com/articles/720740/hurricane-harvey-americas-climate-future",
    'article.publish_date': "2017-08-28 05:55:02",
    'article.authors': ["Ryan Cooper"],
    'article.exclude_taboola_ad': false
});


dataLayer.push({'taboola_flush': '1'});



	</script>

	<!-- Google Tag Manager -->
	<noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-WNVDSB"
					  height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript>
	<script>(function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':
				new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],
				j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src=
				'//www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);
		})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-WNVDSB');</script>

	<!-- End Google Tag Manager -->



<div id="head-wrap">
<div class="container">
	<div class="section-content">
	<div class="section">
	
    

<div class="header-wrapper">
<div id="slide">
<div id="sliding-menu">
    <a class="boxclose" id="boxclose" onClick="TheWeek.pushUAEvent('Header', 'Animation', 'Close');">&times;</a>
    <ul class="five-categories-list">
        <li class="five-categories-item"><a onClick="TheWeek.pushUAEvent('Header', '5 Categories', 'Opinion');" href="/section/opinion">Opinion</a></li>
        <li class="five-categories-item"><a onClick="TheWeek.pushUAEvent('Header', '5 Categories', 'Features');" href="/section/feature">Features</a></li>
        <li class="five-categories-item"><a onClick="TheWeek.pushUAEvent('Header', '5 Categories', 'Speed Reads');" href="/speedreads">Speed Reads</a></li>
        <li class="five-categories-item"><a onClick="TheWeek.pushUAEvent('Header', '5 Categories', '5 Need-to-knows');" href="/5things">5 THINGS TO KNOW</a></li>
        <li class="five-categories-item"><a onClick="TheWeek.pushUAEvent('Header', '5 Categories', 'Popular');" href="/mostpopular">Popular</a></li>
        <li class="five-categories-item hide-for-medium-only"><a onClick="TheWeek.pushUAEvent('Header', '5 Categories', 'Authors');" href="/authors">Authors</a></li>
        <li class="five-categories-item"><a onClick="TheWeek.pushUAEvent('Header', '5 Categories', 'Magazine');" href="/covergallery">Magazine</a></li>
    </ul>
    <div class="hp-menu-bar">
        <ul class="row medium-up-4 small-up-2 collapse">
            <li class="world hp-menu-item column"><a onClick="TheWeek.pushUAEvent('Header', 'HPMenu', 'World');" href="/section/world">World</a></li>
            <li class="us hp-menu-item column"><a onClick="TheWeek.pushUAEvent('Header', 'HPMenu', 'U.S.');" href="/section/U.S.">U.S.</a></li>
            <li class="politics hp-menu-item column"><a onClick="TheWeek.pushUAEvent('Header', 'HPMenu', 'Politics');" href="/section/politics">Politics</a></li>
            <li class="business hp-menu-item column"><a onClick="TheWeek.pushUAEvent('Header', 'HPMenu', 'Business');" href="/section/business">Business</a></li>
            <li class="tech hp-menu-item column"><a onClick="TheWeek.pushUAEvent('Header', 'HPMenu', 'Tech');" href="/section/tech">Tech</a></li>
            <li class="science hp-menu-item column"><a onClick="TheWeek.pushUAEvent('Header', 'HPMenu', 'Science');" href="/section/science">Science</a></li>
            <li class="entertainment hp-menu-item column"><a onClick="TheWeek.pushUAEvent('Header', 'HPMenu', 'Entertainment');" href="/section/entertainment">Arts</a></li>
            <li class="books hp-menu-item column"><a onClick="TheWeek.pushUAEvent('Header', 'HPMenu', 'Books');" href="/section/books">Books</a></li>
            <li class="lifestyle hp-menu-item column"><a onClick="TheWeek.pushUAEvent('Header', 'HPMenu', 'Lifestyle');" href="/section/lifestyle">Life</a></li>
            <li class="travel hp-menu-item column"><a onClick="TheWeek.pushUAEvent('Header', 'HPMenu', 'Travel');" href="/section/travelchannel">Travel</a></li>
            <li class="photos hp-menu-item column"><a onClick="TheWeek.pushUAEvent('Header', 'HPMenu', 'Photos');" href="/captured">Photos</a></li>
            <li class="video hp-menu-item column"><a onClick="TheWeek.pushUAEvent('Header', 'HPMenu', 'Video');" href="/video">Video</a></li>
            <li class="cartoons hp-menu-item column"><a onClick="TheWeek.pushUAEvent('Header', 'HPMenu', 'Cartoons');"  href="/cartoons">Cartoons</a></li>
            <li class="puzzles hp-menu-item column"><a onClick="TheWeek.pushUAEvent('Header', 'HPMenu', 'Puzzles');" href="/puzzles">Puzzles</a></li>
            <li class="newslettersss hp-menu-item column"><a onClick="TheWeek.pushUAEvent('Header', 'HPMenu', 'Newsletters');" href="/newsletters">Newsletters</a></li>
            <li class="authors hp-menu-item column show-for-medium-only"><a onClick="TheWeek.pushUAEvent('Header', 'HPMenu', 'Authors');" href="/authors">Authors</a></li>
        </ul>
    </div>
    <div class="special-reports-inside-header">Special reports:
        <span class="additional-link theideafactory"><a href="/section/theideafactory">THE IDEA FACTORY</a></span>
        <span class="additional-link thecloud"><a href="/section/thecloud">THE CLOUD</a></span>
    </div>
</div>
</div>

<div id="header" class="main-header menu-close">
    <div class="main-header-wrap">
    <div id="sandwich-search" class="sandwich-search-block"><div id="sandwich-click"><div class="sandwich-icon">Menu</div></div><div id="magnify-click"><div class="magnify-icon"></div></div><div id="search"><form method="post" id="search-form"><input name="term" type="search" size="40" placeholder="search" class="search-input" id="search_input""><div id="button-close" class="show-for-small-only">&times;</div></form></div></div>
    <a class="tw-logo" href="/" onClick="TheWeek.pushUAEvent('Header', 'Animation', 'Logo');"></a>

    <div class="subscribe-unit-header show-for-medium">
        <ul class="links">
            <li><a class="link-header subscribe-link-header" href=" https://subscribe.theweek.com/servlet/Show?WESPAGE=pm/Pages/load_order.jsp&WESACTIVESESSION=TRUE&PAGE_ID=19303DIR01&MAGCODE=WK&MSCCMPLX=801WKSAC6" target="_blank">Subscribe</a></li>
            <li><a class="link-header give-gift-link-header" href="https://subscribe.theweek.com/wes/servlet/Show?WESPAGE=csp/wk/dgord/Gift_Order_WK.jsp&MSRSMAG=WK&MSCEKX=WKTJ922&MSCCMPLX=801WKGAC3" target="_blank">Give a gift</a></li>
            <li><a class="link-header digital-subscribe-link-header" href="https://subscribe.theweek.com/servlet/Show?WESPAGE=pm/Pages/load_order.jsp&WESACTIVESESSION=TRUE&PAGE_ID=19303DIR01&MAGCODE=WK&MSCCMPLX=801WKSAC2" target="_blank">Digital subscription</a></li>
        </ul>
        <div class="cover"><img style="width:63px;" src="http://cdn.app.theweek.com/editions/com.dennis.theweek.issue.issue860/assets/styles/cover/public/iPad-cover-860_Thumbnail.jpg?resize=180x174"/></div>
    </div>
    <div class="subscribe-link-header-mob show-for-small-only">
        <a href=" https://subscribe.theweek.com/servlet/Show?WESPAGE=pm/Pages/load_order.jsp&WESACTIVESESSION=TRUE&PAGE_ID=19303DIR01&MAGCODE=WK&MSCCMPLX=801WKSAC6" target="_blank">SUBSCRIBE</a>
    </div>
    </div>
</div>
<div class ="border-header"></div>
</div>
    <script>
        var subscribeRandom =  Math.floor((Math.random() * 1000000) + 1);

        function abSubscribeTest(){
            if (subscribeRandom <= 500000) {
                jQuery(".subscribe-link-header").attr('href', 'https://subscribe.theweek.com/servlet/Show?WESPAGE=pm/Pages/load_order.jsp&WESACTIVESESSION=TRUE&PAGE_ID=17855DIR01&MAGCODE=WK&MSCCMPLX=712WKSAC1');
            }
            else {
                jQuery(".subscribe-link-header").attr('href', 'https://subscribe.theweek.com/servlet/Show?WESPAGE=pm/Pages/load_order.jsp&WESACTIVESESSION=TRUE&PAGE_ID=18544DIR&MAGCODE=WK&MSCCMPLX=712WKSAT2');
            }
        }

        jQuery(document).ready(function(){
            //abSubscribeTest();
        });

        // search submit
        function searchSubmit() {
            var term = document.getElementById("search_input").value;
            // term = term.replace(' ', '+');
            if(term!=""){
                document.location.href = "/search/"+term;
            }
            else{
                document.location.href = "/search";
            }
            return false;
        }
        jQuery("#search_input").keyup(function (e) {
            if (e.keyCode == 13) {
                e.preventDefault();
                searchSubmit();
            }
        });
    </script>
    
    



    

									<script type="text/javascript" src="//xcp.go.sonobi.com/px.js?3de6e0be4832b89829a6"></script>
											<script type="text/javascript" src="//xcp.go.sonobi.com/px.js?56fcf6104344fc6cee29"></script>
																					

	<div id="top_sticky_helper">
		<div class="bottom-Ad top-leaderboard-ad desktop-ad managed-ad pushdown-ad"
     data-ad-id="article_top_leaderboard",
     data-device="desktop",
     sonobi="d38ac7b91894aea263dc",
     data-targets="inventory:atf;position:1;view:1;placement:TW_Article_D_1;"
></div>
<div class="bottom-Ad top-leaderboard-ad tablet-ad managed-ad pushdown-ad"
     data-ad-id="article_top_leaderboard",
     data-device="tablet",
     sonobi="febb15dc8c080104397a",
     data-targets="inventory:atf;position:1;view:1;placement:TW_Article_T_1;"
></div>
<div class="mobile-top-ad top-leaderboard-ad mobile-ad managed-ad pushdown-ad"
     data-ad-id="article_top_leaderboard"
     sonobi="",
     data-device="mobile"
     data-targets="inventory:atf;position:1;placement:TW_Article_M_1;"
></div>
	</div>

	<div id="subscribe-container-mobile">
    <div class="subscribe-module">
        <div class="sign-up">Sign up for our free email newsletters</div>
        <form id="newsletter-form-mob" action="/newsletters" novalidate="novalidate" method="POST">
            <input type="text" name="email" id="email" class="email-field" placeholder="Enter email">
            <div class="error" style="color:black;width:100%;text-align:center;" id="newsletter-error-mobile"></div>

            <input type="submit" class="all-SR opacity-rollover" id="mobile-signup" value="Sign up now">
        </form>
    </div>
</div>


    <div class='fb-content top-section'>
		<div class="fb-med">
			<div class='fb-bar-inner'>
				<div class='fb-follow'></div><span>FOLLOW </span><span class='tw-fb'>THE WEEK</span><span> ON FACEBOOK</span></div>
				<div class="fb-like" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/theweek" data-layout="button" data-action="like" data-show-faces="false" data-share="false"></div>
			</div>
		</div>
	</div>

		<script type="text/javascript" src="/js/45861a4.js"></script>
	

	<script>var displayAds = true;</script>

<div id="fb-root"></div>
	


			    <script> var colorHeader ='white';</script>
	    	    <script type="text/javascript" src="/js/eb08862.js"></script>
	    	
		<script type="text/javascript" src="/js/858ec11.js"></script>
		<script src="https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api.js" async defer></script>

        <div id="content">
			<div class="content-inside">
				<div id="article-wrapper" class="id-720740">
		
<script>
var articleList = [];
currentTitle = 'Hurricane\x20Harvey\x20is\x20America\x27s\x20climate\x20future';
currentUrl = '/articles/720740/hurricane-harvey-americas-climate-future';
articleList.push('720740');
articleId = '720740';
var article_advertorial = false;
var artcle_partner = false;
var exclude_related = true;
var showIntext = false;
var showDesktopIntext = false;
</script>
    
<div class="full-article full-article-720740" data-article-url="/articles/720740/hurricane-harvey-americas-climate-future" >
	<div id="sub-header" ">

										
	        	           	        
                            <a href="">
	                                                      <div class="article-subtype">
                         <span>Opinion</span>
                      </div>
                    			    			    

	   
	   

		<div class="article-headline">
			<div class="edit-link">
	<a href="http://cms.theweek.com/admin/tw-admin/edit/720740">Edit</a>
</div>			<p>Hurricane Harvey is America's climate future</p>
		</div>

	               		  									
					    					       							<a href="/authors/ryan-cooper" onClick="TheWeek.pushUAEvent('Page Tracking', 'Article-Author', 'Ryan Cooper');" >
						    					   
						<div class="author">
															<div class="img">
									<img class="small-author" data-corner="110px" src="http://api.theweek.com/sites/default/files/author-images/RyanCooper.png?resize=100x100" />
								</div>
														<div class="name">
								<span class="first-name">Ryan</span>
								<span class="last-name">Cooper</span>
							</div>
						</div>
												  							</a>
						  						
									     	</div>

	<div class="top-image" id="top-image-720740">
					<img class="lazy"
				data-original-desktop="http://api.theweek.com/sites/default/files/styles/tw_image_9_4/public/RTX3DGQO_harvey.jpg?itok=QtNLBCOC&resize=1260x560"
				data-original-tablet="http://api.theweek.com/sites/default/files/styles/tw_image_9_4/public/RTX3DGQO_harvey.jpg?itok=QtNLBCOC&resize=1260x560"
				data-original-mobile="http://api.theweek.com/sites/default/files/styles/tw_image_9_4/public/RTX3DGQO_harvey.jpg?itok=QtNLBCOC&resize=450x200"/>
									<div class="img-credit" alt=""> REUTERS/Adrees Latif </div>
			</div>
	<div class="article-body underline">
					<div class="article-date">August 28, 2017</div>
		
				<div class="text underline drop_caps">
		<div class="appendedAds">
		  <div class="body-ad-1" id="body-ad-1-720740">
		    <div class="inside-body-ad-1">
			    <span class="advertisement">ADVERTISEMENT</span>
			    			        		               <div class="mp-ad tablet-ad managed-ad"
     data-ad-id="article_body_top_square"
     data-device="tablet"
     data-targets="inventory:btf;position:6;name:article_body_top_square;placement:TW_Article_T_6;"
></div>
<div class="mp-ad mobile-ad managed-ad"
     data-ad-id="article_body_top_square"
     data-device="mobile"
     data-targets="inventory:btf;position:6;name:article_body_top_square;placement:TW_Article_M_6;"
></div>
		            	            	            <div class="desktop-ad managed-ad article_first_square"
     id="article_first_square"
     data-ad-id="article_first_square"
     data-device="desktop"
     data-defer="true"
     data-load-visible="true"
     data-targets="inventory:btf;position:11;name:article_first_square;view:1;placement:TW_Article_D_11;"
></div>
	            <div class="desktop-ad managed-ad article_short_text"
     id="article_short_text"
     data-ad-id="article_short_text"
     data-device="desktop"
     data-defer="true"
     data-load-visible="true"
     data-targets="inventory:btf;position:77;name:article_short_text;placement:TW_Article_D_77;"
></div>

            </div>
                <div id="subscribe-container">
                <div id="subscribe-line"></div>
                <div class="subscribe-module">
                    <div class="sign-up">Sign Up for</div>
                    <div class="title">Our free email newsletters</div>
                    <form action="" id="newsletter-form" novalidate="novalidate">
                        <input type="text" name="email" id="email" class="email-field" placeholder="Enter email">
                        <div class="newsletters">
                            <div class="checkboxFour" id="first">
                                <input type="checkbox" value="1" id="ten_things" name="" checked="checked">10 things you need to know today <label for="ten_things"></label>
                            </div>
                            <div class="checkboxFour" id="second">
                                <input type="checkbox" value="2" id="best_articles" name="" checked="checked">Today's best articles <label for="best_articles"></label>
                            </div>
                            <div class="checkboxFour" id="third">
                                <input type="checkbox" value="3" id="best_cartoons" name="" checked="checked">Today's top cartoons <label for="best_cartoons"></label>
                            </div>
                            <div class="checkboxFour" id="fourth">
                                <input type="checkbox" value="4" id="good_news" name="" checked="checked">The good news newsletter<label for="good_news"></label>
                            </div>
                            <div class="checkboxFour" id="fifth">
                                <input type="checkbox" value="5" id="best_photos" name="" checked="checked">The week's best photojournalism <label for="best_photos"></label>
                            </div>
                            <div class="checkboxFour" id="sixth">
                                <input type="checkbox" value="6" id="business_briefing" name="" checked="checked">Daily business briefing<label for="business_briefing"></label>
                            </div>
                        </div>
                        <input type="submit" class="all-SR opacity-rollover" id="desktop-signup" value="Sign up now">
                        <div class="error" style="color:black;width:100%;text-align:center;" id="newsletter-error"></div>
                    </form>
                </div>
            </div>
                      </div>

		</div>

        <span id='right-ad-container'>
          <div class="body-ad-2" id="body-ad-2-720740">
		    <div class="inside-body-ad-2">
	            <div class="desktop-ad managed-ad article_second_square"
     id="article_second_square"
     data-ad-id="article_second_square"
     data-device="desktop"
     data-defer="true"
     data-load-visible="true"
     data-targets="inventory:btf;position:22;name:article_second_square;view:1;;placement:TW_Article_D_22;"
></div>

                <div class="desktop-ad managed-ad article_second_short_square"
     id="article_second_short_square"
     data-ad-id="article_second_short_square"
     data-device="desktop"
     data-defer="true"
     data-load-visible="true"
     data-targets="inventory:btf;position:22;name:article_second_short_square;view:1;placement:TW_Article_D_22;"
></div>
            </div>
          </div>

          <div class="body-ad-3" id="body-ad-3-720740">
		    <div class="inside-body-ad-3">
	            <div class="desktop-ad managed-ad article_third_square"
     id="article_third_square"
     data-ad-id="article_third_square"
     data-device="desktop"
     data-defer="true"
     data-load-visible="true"
     data-targets="inventory:btf;position:33;name:article_third_square;view:1;placement:TW_Article_D_33;"
></div>

	            <div class="desktop-ad managed-ad article_third_short_square"
     id="article_third_short_square"
     data-ad-id="article_third_short_square"
     data-device="desktop"
     data-defer="true"
     data-load-visible="true"
     data-targets="inventory:btf;position:33;name:article_third_short_square;view:1;placement:TW_Article_D_33;"
></div>
            </div>
          </div>

          <div class="body-ad-4" id="body-ad-4-720740">
		    <div class="inside-body-ad-4">
	            <div class="desktop-ad managed-ad article_fourth_square"
     id="article_fourth_square"
     data-ad-id="article_fourth_square"
     data-defer="true"
     data-load-visible="true"
     data-device="desktop"
     data-targets="inventory:btf;position:44;name:article_fourth_square;view:1;placement:TW_Article_D_44;"
></div>

	             <div class="desktop-ad managed-ad article_fourth_short_square"
     id="article_fourth_short_square"
     data-ad-id="article_fourth_short_square"
     data-device="desktop"
     data-defer="true"
     data-load-visible="true"
     data-targets="inventory:btf;position:44;name:article_fourth_short_square;view:1;placement:TW_Article_D_44;"
></div>
            </div>
          </div>

          <div class="body-ad-5" id="body-ad-5-720740">
		    <div class="inside-body-ad-5">
	            <div class="desktop-ad managed-ad article_fifth_square"
     id="article_fifth_square"
     data-ad-id="article_fifth_square"
     data-device="desktop"
     data-defer="true"
     data-load-visible="true"
     data-targets="inventory:btf;position:55;name:article_fifth_square;view:1;placement:TW_Article_D_55;"
></div>

	            <div class="desktop-ad managed-ad article_fifth_short_square"
     id="article_fifth_short_square"
     data-ad-id="article_fifth_short_square"
     data-defer="true"
     data-load-visible="true"
     data-device="desktop"
     data-targets="inventory:btf;position:55;name:article_fifth_short_square;view:1;placement:TW_Article_D_55;"
></div>
            </div>
          </div>

          <div class="body-ad-6" id="body-ad-6-720740">
		    <div class="inside-body-ad-6">
	            <div class="desktop-ad managed-ad article_sixth_square"
     id="article_sixth_square"
     data-ad-id="article_sixth_square"
     data-device="desktop"
     data-defer="true"
     data-load-visible="true"
     data-targets="inventory:btf;position:66;name:article_sixth_square;view:1;placement:TW_Article_D_66;"
></div>
	            <div class="desktop-ad managed-ad article_sixth_short_square"
     id="article_sixth_short_square"
     data-ad-id="article_sixth_short_square"
     data-device="desktop"
     data-defer="true"
     data-load-visible="true"
     data-targets="inventory:btf;position:66;name:article_sixth_short_square;view:1;placement:TW_Article_D_66;"
></div>
            </div>
          </div>

        </span>



		   <p>Hurricane Harvey pummeled southern Texas all weekend, causing apocalyptic flooding. Worse, several more days of torrential rainfall are in the cards, as Harvey is predicted to slowly wander slightly back out to sea and then make landfall again in a day or two. Several deaths have already <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/aug/27/hurricane-harvey-death-toll-houston-historic-flooding" target="_blank">been confirmed</a>, and forecasters estimate there will be up to 50 inches of rain in the worst-hit areas.</p>
<p>This destruction is a window into the future of climate change. This is what happens when humanity fails to either meaningfully restrict greenhouse gas emissions or prepare for the damage that is certainly coming.</p>
<p>Now, before the inevitable <a href="http://theweek.com/articles/448233/how-talk-climate-change-contrarian-must" target="_blank">pedant brigade</a> pounces in, that doesn't mean Harvey was definitely <em>caused</em> by climate change. Global temperatures have only markedly increased for a few decades, and extreme weather events are rare and random by definition. It will take many more years for enough data to be collected to be able to establish causality.</p>
<p>But what we can say is that climate science predicts with high confidence that increased temperatures will increase the likelihood of extreme weather.</p>
<p>It will make hurricanes that do form stronger. It <a href="https://www.gfdl.noaa.gov/global-warming-and-hurricanes/"><em>may</em> also increase the number of hurricanes</a>, though that's harder to predict with certainty. It's also besides the point. A storm doesn't need to qualify as a hurricane to pose many of the same dangers. Simple big storms can still have high winds, tornadoes, and especially flooding, which is the major danger along the Gulf Coast.</p>
<div class="mobads"></div>
<p>And when it comes to attributing an increased flooding trend directly to climate change, we are on firmer ground (so to speak). As the <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar5/syr/AR5_SYR_FINAL_SPM.pdf">2014 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report notes</a>, models predict that increasing temperature ought to cause greater precipitation extremes in both directions — both drought and flooding, though there are likely more areas of heavy precipitation. As climate scientist <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MichaelMannScientist/posts/1515449771844553" target="_blank">Michael Mann writes</a>, "Harvey was almost certainly more intense than it would have been in the absence of human-caused warming."</p>
<p>All that is seriously worsened by abysmal American preparedness — particularly in the South, where drainage and other flood protection infrastructure is often designed poorly and maintained worse. Southern Texas is notorious in this respect — not as bad as New Orleans, which <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/hurricane-harvey-rainfall-poses-serious-danger-ill-prepared-new-orleans-n795611?ex_cid=SigDig">still has not been completely rebuilt from Hurricane Katrina</a> — but still bad. As this <a href="https://projects.propublica.org/houston-cypress/"><em>ProPublica</em>/<em>Texas Tribune</em> report</a> details, Houston has been increasing its vulnerability to flooding, mainly through ever-sprawling development. Prairie absorbs water to some extent, while concrete and pavement sheds it quickly. Paving over soil therefore increases the speed and volume of runoff, and hence flooding. (Naturally, the Republican head of the local flood control district denies this is happening and has no plans to study how climate change might affect the local region.)</p>
<p>Furthermore, the Houston area also has some critical infrastructure that is <a href="https://projects.propublica.org/houston/">seriously vulnerable to a direct hit from a major hurricane</a> — like the Johnson Space Center and the Houston Ship Channel, which has the largest oil refinery complex in the entire country. At the time of writing, the Johnson center is <a href="https://www.space.com/37960-heavy-rain-closes-nasa-johnson.html" target="_blank">closed but operational</a>, while refineries with about <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/27/hurricane-harvey-refineries-shutting-down.html" target="_blank">one million barrels</a> of daily capacity have been shut down — with more to come, most likely.</p>
<p>Houston has been hit with a 100-year flood — a rainstorm that, going by previous records, has a 1 percent chance of happening in one year — in 2015 and in 2016. Now in 2017 it's enduring what will probably be the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2017/08/27/catastrophic-flooding-underway-in-houston-as-harvey-lingers-over-texas/?utm_term=.966932986773" target="_blank">worst flood in the city's history</a>. (That, plus the suggestive science on climate change precipitation, would suggest the probabilities need to be updated.)</p>
<div class="related-tag"></div>
<p>And that brings me to President Trump. It's not clear how the disaster response is going, though I would certainly not expect top-notch performance. But just days before Harvey hit, Trump announced that he was going to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/08/15/trump-to-reverse-obama-era-order-aimed-at-planning-for-climate-change/?utm_term=.ba48dca6137b" target="_blank">rescind an Obama executive order</a> that would require buildings receiving federal funding to consider climate change and build above extreme flood levels. Since there is a <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-executive-order-flooding_us_599323d4e4b04b193360926b" target="_blank">big federal program to provide flood insurance</a> to many such buildings (that is incidentally <a href="http://www.iamagazine.com/news/read/2017/01/19/fema-borrows-$1.6-billion-congress-calls-for-fundamental-reform" target="_blank">nearly bankrupt</a> due to massive claims of late), this amounts to a government subsidy to build in flood-prone areas.</p>
<p>That's Trump alright: stupendous, almost unimaginable idiocy in every situation. But here it drives home the fact that failing to act on climate change is putting the United States under direct threat of physical devastation. If ISIS had some plot to blow up the nation's biggest oil refinery, it would be instant justification for limitless spending and endless war. But because the threat comes through abstract and slow-moving scientific processes — and because one of our two political parties has become intellectually unhinged — we sit here, twiddling our thumbs, until the disaster is on us.</p>
<p>Well, it's here now — and the longer we wait, the more expensive and deadly prevention and defense will be. It's time to get moving.</p>
 
		   
           
                      <div class="subscribe-unit-mobile underline"  id="art-subscribe-unit-outer-graphic-mob">
                <div class="in-subs new-recirc-unit" id="art-subscribe-unit-mobile">
                    <a href="https://subscribe.theweek.com/servlet/Show?WESPAGE=pm/Pages/load_order.jsp&WESACTIVESESSION=TRUE&PAGE_ID=19661DIR01&MAGCODE=WK&MSCCMPLX=801WKRAC17" target="_blank" onclick="TheWeek.pushUAEvent('Recirculation', 'TheWeek.com desktop - The Week End of Article', 'Try 4 Risk-Free Issues - Clicked');">
                        <div class="wrapper">
                            <div class="article-risk-free-offer"></div>
                        </div>
                    </a>
                </div>
            </div>

		  <div class="ad_wrap" >
               		     <div class="second-half-body-ad" id="second-half-body-ad-720740" style="display: none;">
 		        <span class="advertisement">ADVERTISEMENT</span>
 		                            <div class="mp-ad tablet-ad managed-ad"
     data-ad-id="article_body_bottom_square"
     data-device="tablet"
     data-targets="inventory:btf;position:3;placement:TW_Article_T_3;"
></div>
                
                    <div class="mp-ad mobile-ad managed-ad"
     id="article_body_bottom_square_mob"
     data-ad-id="article_body_bottom_square"
     data-device="mobile"
     data-targets="inventory:btf;position:3;dev:1;placement:TW_Article_M_3;"
></div>

             </div>
                                        <div class="second-half-body-ad-short" id="second-half-body-ad-short-720740" style="display: none;">
 		        <span>ADVERTISEMENT</span>
                <div class="mp-ad tablet-ad managed-ad"
     data-ad-id="article_body_bottom_square_short"
     data-device="tablet"
     data-targets="inventory:btf;position:3;placement:TW_Article_T_3;"
></div>
             </div>
                       </div>
	   </div>
	</div>
</div>

                                    <div class="related-articles horizontal-layout clearfix" id="related-articles-720740" >
                    <div class="related-text">More Perspectives</div>
                    <div class="related-content">
                        
                                                                                    <a class="related-row clearfix"  href="/articles/750875/werent-supposed-have-think-about-politics" onClick="TheWeek.pushUAEvent('Article', 'Related Side Module', 'click more perspective');" >
                                                                                                                                                        
                                    <div class="related-img image-rollover">
                                        <img src="http://api.theweek.com/sites/default/files/styles/tw_image_6_4/public/politics_E9XX5K.png?itok=9f1dvoiY&resize=180x120"/>
                                    </div>
                                    <div class="related-info">
                                                                                                                                                                                        <div class="name-of-author">
                                                        <span class="first-name">Bonnie</span>
                                                        <span class="last-name">Kristian</span>
                                                    </div>
                                                                                                                                                                            <div class="related-title">The creeping obligation of politics</div>
                                    </div>
                                </a>
                                                                                                                                                <a class="related-row clearfix"  href="/articles/753587/okay-preach-politics-kids" onClick="TheWeek.pushUAEvent('Article', 'Related Side Module', 'click more perspective');" >
                                                                                                                                                        
                                    <div class="related-img image-rollover">
                                        <img src="http://api.theweek.com/sites/default/files/styles/tw_image_6_4/public/GettyImages-908250214.jpg?itok=2B8bitZ3&resize=180x120"/>
                                    </div>
                                    <div class="related-info">
                                                                                                                                                                                        <div class="name-of-author">
                                                        <span class="first-name">Ed</span>
                                                        <span class="last-name">West</span>
                                                    </div>
                                                                                                                                                                            <div class="related-title">Is it okay to preach politics to our kids?</div>
                                    </div>
                                </a>
                                                                                                        </div>
                </div>
                        </div>
</div>
	<div class="sticky-social-article-only" style="display:none;" id="sticky-social_720740">
	<div class="sticky-social-inside">
	<div class="social-call-to-action">SHARE!</div>
			<div class="social-sticky-buttons">
				<div class="first-sticky-button">
					<span class="fb" style="display: block" data-url="http://theweek.com/articles/720740/hurricane-harvey-americas-climate-future" data-text="Hurricane Harvey is America's climate future"></span>
				</div>
				<div class="second-sticky-button">
					<span class="twitter" style="display: block" data-url="http://theweek.com/articles/720740/hurricane-harvey-americas-climate-future" data-text="Hurricane Harvey is America's climate future"></span>
				</div>
				<div class="third-sticky-button">
					<span style="display: block" class="email">
					<a HREF="mailto:?subject=Hurricane Harvey is America's climate future&amp;body=:http://theweek.com/articles/720740/hurricane-harvey-americas-climate-future" target="_blank" title="Share by Email" style="width:40px;height:40px;float:left;"><div class="test">&nbsp;</div></a>
					</span>
				</div>
			</div>
	</div>

</div>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/js/9b1d7b8.js"></script>



	 

	<div class="subscribe-unit underline"  id="art-subscribe-unit-outer">
	   <div class="in-subs text-recirc-unit macnasya" id="art-subscribe-unit">
	       <a href="https://subscribe.theweek.com/servlet/Show?WESPAGE=pm/Pages/load_order.jsp&WESACTIVESESSION=TRUE&PAGE_ID=19661DIR01&MAGCODE=WK&MSCCMPLX=801WKRAC16" target="_blank" onclick="TheWeek.pushUAEvent('Recirculation', 'TheWeek.com desktop - The Week End of Article', 'Try 4 Risk-Free Issues - Clicked');">
	           Try 4 Risk-Free Issues
	       </a>
        </div>
	   <span>of <em>The Week</em> magazine.</span>
	</div>


        	<div class="promo-links">

        <div id="zergnet-widget-47127"></div>
        <script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
				// we can use the 'defer' property on these scripts
				// or alternatively, can wrap this in jQuery
				jQuery(function() {
					function loadZergnet(id) {
						var zergnet = document.createElement('script');
						zergnet.type = 'text/javascript';
						zergnet.async = true;
						zergnet.defer = true; // and/or we could do this
						zergnet.src = '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=' + id;

						var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
						znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr);
					}
					// this also make it easy to try deferring further, eg through setTimeout
					setTimeout(function(){ loadZergnet(47127) }, 600);
				});
			</script>
	</div>
		
        <div class="more-from-the-author">
                  
                                     <div id="module-recirculation">
	<div class="left_recirc">
		<div class="modules-headline">
			More from Ryan Cooper<br>
							<div class="see-all"><a href="/authors/ryan-cooper">See All</a></div>
					</div>
		<div id="module-recirculation-feature" class="image-rollover">
						        <div class="author-art">
					<a href="/articles/753967/liberal-grift" onClick="TheWeek.pushUAEvent('Article', 'Recirculation', 'more-from-1');">
					<div><img class="mrf-image image-rollover" src="http://api.theweek.com/sites/default/files/styles/tw_image_6_4/public/D398R2.jpg?itok=dihAwTZK&resize=400x267"></div>
					<div class="mrf-headline gray-rollover"><p>The liberal grift is on</p>
					   							       						<span class="author-name"
								>Ryan Cooper
							</span>
																		</div>
					</a>
			     </div>
						        <div class="author-art">
					<a href="/articles/753769/case-erasing-every-last-penny-student-debt" onClick="TheWeek.pushUAEvent('Article', 'Recirculation', 'more-from-2');">
					<div><img class="mrf-image image-rollover" src="http://api.theweek.com/sites/default/files/styles/tw_image_6_4/public/BDPR28.jpg?itok=ZRzH3sg4&resize=400x267"></div>
					<div class="mrf-headline gray-rollover"><p>The case for erasing every last penny of student debt</p>
					   							       						<span class="author-name"
								>Ryan Cooper
							</span>
																		</div>
					</a>
			     </div>
						        <div class="author-art">
					<a href="/articles/753526/americas-raggedy-economic-fundamentals" onClick="TheWeek.pushUAEvent('Article', 'Recirculation', 'more-from-3');">
					<div><img class="mrf-image image-rollover" src="http://api.theweek.com/sites/default/files/styles/tw_image_6_4/public/F74TDN.jpg?itok=guPW5CXa&resize=400x267"></div>
					<div class="mrf-headline gray-rollover"><p>America's raggedy economic fundamentals</p>
					   							       						<span class="author-name"
								>Ryan Cooper
							</span>
																		</div>
					</a>
			     </div>
				
		</div>
	</div>

	<div class="most-popular">
		<div class="mp-wrapper">
			<div class="mp-headline">
				<a href="/mostpopular">Most popular</a>
			     <br />   <div class="see-all"><a href="/mostpopular">See All</a></div>
			</div>
														<div class="mp-element">
				     <a href="/articles/749978/female-price-male-pleasure" onClick="TheWeek.pushUAEvent('Article', 'Recirculation', 'more-from-1');">
						<div class="left-part image-rollover">
						   <div class="mp-number">1</div>
							<img class="mp-img" src="http://api.theweek.com/sites/default/files/styles/tw_image_6_4/public/F5EKWN.jpg?itok=3LyQ5-oZ&resize=400x267" />
						</div>
						<div class="headline"><p>The female price of male pleasure</p>
																       						<span class="author-name"
									>Lili Loofbourow
								</span>
																					</div>
					</a>
				</div>
	            								<div class="mp-element">
				     <a href="/speedreads/754833/2-baltimore-police-detectives-convicted-corruption-scandal" onClick="TheWeek.pushUAEvent('Article', 'Recirculation', 'more-from-2');">
						<div class="left-part image-rollover">
						   <div class="mp-number">2</div>
							<img class="mp-img" src="http://api.theweek.com/sites/default/files/styles/tw_image_6_4/public/iStock-813644562_0.jpg?itok=qdltLL1L&resize=400x267" />
						</div>
						<div class="headline"><p>2 Baltimore Police detectives convicted in corruption scandal</p>
																       						<span class="author-name"
									>Catherine Garcia
								</span>
																					</div>
					</a>
				</div>
	            								<div class="mp-element">
				     <a href="/speedreads/754831/chicago-tv-station-clarifies-that-knows-difference-between-pyeongchang-pf-changs" onClick="TheWeek.pushUAEvent('Article', 'Recirculation', 'more-from-3');">
						<div class="left-part image-rollover">
						   <div class="mp-number">3</div>
							<img class="mp-img" src="http://api.theweek.com/sites/default/files/styles/tw_image_6_4/public/DV3qdA4VoAEyxn3.jpg?itok=FQ6i4eDc&resize=400x267" />
						</div>
						<div class="headline"><p>Chicago TV station clarifies that it knows the difference between Pyeongchang and P.F. Chang's</p>
																       						<span class="author-name"
									>Catherine Garcia
								</span>
																					</div>
					</a>
				</div>
	            							
		</div>
	</div>

<div class="zerg-colm" >
	<div style="font-family:Minion-pro; color:#000000; font-size:26px; font-weight:600; padding-top: 9px; margin-bottom:10px;">Around the web</div>

	<div style="font-family:proxima-nova; font-size: 12px; color: #f43736; text-align: left; text-transform:uppercase; margin-bottom:23px; font-weight:600;">Powered By ZergNet</div>

	<div id="zergnet-widget-29360"></div>
</div>

 <script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
(function() {
var zergnet = document.createElement('script');
zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true;
zergnet.src = '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=29360';
var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr);
})();
</script>

</div>



                
                
	</div>
	    
                     <div id="sharethrough-ad">
    <div class="desktop-ad managed-ad" 
		data-ad-id="div-gpt-ad-1411048401652-0"
		data-targets="inventory:btf;position:101;strnativekey:7b87e58b;placement:TW_Article_D_101;"
		data-device="desktop"
	></div>
	<div class="tablet-ad managed-ad"
		data-ad-id="div-gpt-ad-1411048401652-0"
		data-targets="inventory:btf;position:101;strnativekey:7b87e58b;placement:TW_Article_T_101;"
		data-device="tablet"
	></div>
	<div class="mobile-ad managed-ad" 
		data-ad-id="div-gpt-ad-1411048401652-0"
		data-targets="inventory:btf;position:101;strnativekey:7b87e58b;placement:TW_Article_M_101;"
		data-device="mobile"
	></div>
</div>
            

	<div class="bottom-Ad bottom-leaderboard-ad desktop-ad managed-ad"
	data-ad-id="article_bottom_leaderboard",
	data-device="desktop",
	data-targets="inventory:btf;position:4;placement:TW_Article_D_4;"
></div>
<div class="bottom-Ad bottom-leaderboard-ad tablet-ad managed-ad"
     data-ad-id="article_bottom_leaderboard",
     data-device="tablet",
     data-targets="inventory:btf;position:4;placement:TW_Article_T_4;"
></div>
<div class="mobile-bottom-ad bottom-leaderboard-ad mobile-ad managed-ad bottom-Ad"
     data-ad-id="article_bottom_leaderboard"
	 data-device="mobile"
     data-targets="inventory:btf;position:4;placement:TW_Article_M_4;"
></div>

	
    <div class="hidden-mobile-ads">
	<div class="desktop-special-ad managed-ad article_first_intext_ad onScrollAds"
     id="article_first_desktop"
     data-ad-id="article_first_intext_ad"
     data-device="desktop"
     data-defer="true"
     data-load-visible="true"
     data-targets="inventory:btf;position:111;name:article_first_intext_ad;view:1;placement:TW_Article_D_111;"
></div>
<div class="tablet-ad managed-ad article_first_intext_ad onScrollAds"
     id="article_first_tablet"
     data-ad-id="article_first_intext_ad"
     data-device="tablet"
     data-defer="true"
     data-load-visible="true"
     data-targets="inventory:btf;position:111;name:article_first_intext_ad;view:1;placement:TW_Article_T_111;"
></div>
<div class="mobile-ad managed-ad article_first_intext_ad onScrollAds"
     id="article_first_mobile"
     data-ad-id="article_first_intext_ad"
     data-device="mobile"
     data-defer="true"
     data-load-visible="true"
     data-targets="inventory:btf;position:111;name:article_first_intext_ad;view:1;placement:TW_Article_M_111;"
></div>
	<div class="desktop-special-ad managed-ad article_second_intext_ad onScrollAds"
     id="article_second_desktop"
     data-ad-id="article_second_intext_ad"
     data-device="desktop"
     data-defer="true"
     data-load-visible="true"
     data-targets="inventory:btf;position:222;name:article_second_intext_ad;view:1;placement:TW_Article_D_222;"
></div>
<div class="tablet-ad managed-ad article_second_intext_ad onScrollAds"
     id="article_second_tablet"
     data-ad-id="article_second_intext_ad"
     data-device="tablet"
     data-defer="true"
     data-load-visible="true"
     data-targets="inventory:btf;position:222;name:article_second_intext_ad;view:1;placement:TW_Article_T_222;"
></div>
<div class="mobile-ad managed-ad article_second_intext_ad onScrollAds"
     id="article_second_mobile"
     data-ad-id="article_second_intext_ad"
     data-device="mobile"
     data-defer="true"
     data-load-visible="true"
     data-targets="inventory:btf;position:222;name:article_second_intext_ad;view:1;placement:TW_Article_M_222;"
></div>
	<div class="desktop-special-ad managed-ad article_third_intext_ad onScrollAds"
     id="article_third_desktop"
     data-ad-id="article_third_intext_ad"
     data-device="desktop"
     data-defer="true"
     data-load-visible="true"
     data-targets="inventory:btf;position:333;name:article_third_intext_ad;view:1;placement:TW_Article_D_333;"
></div>
<div class="tablet-ad managed-ad article_third_intext_ad onScrollAds"
     id="article_third_tablet"
     data-ad-id="article_third_intext_ad"
     data-device="tablet"
     data-defer="true"
     data-load-visible="true"
     data-targets="inventory:btf;position:333;name:article_third_intext_ad;view:1;placement:TW_Article_T_333;"
></div>
<div class="mobile-ad managed-ad article_third_intext_ad onScrollAds"
     id="article_third_mobile"
     data-ad-id="article_third_intext_ad;"
     data-device="mobile"
     data-defer="true"
     data-load-visible="true"
     data-targets="inventory:btf;position:333;name:article_third_intext_ad;view:1;;placement:TW_Article_M_333;"
></div>
	<div class="desktop-special-ad managed-ad article_fourth_intext_ad onScrollAds"
     id="article_fourth_desktop"
     data-ad-id="article_fourth_intext_ad"
     data-device="desktop"
     data-defer="true"
     data-load-visible="true"
     data-targets="inventory:btf;position:444;name:article_fourth_intext_ad;view:1;placement:TW_Article_D_444;"
></div>
<div class="tablet-ad managed-ad article_fourth_intext_ad onScrollAds"
     id="article_fourth_tablet"
     data-ad-id="article_fourth_intext_ad"
     data-device="tablet"
     data-defer="true"
     data-load-visible="true"
     data-targets="inventory:btf;position:444;name:article_fourth_intext_ad;view:1;placement:TW_Article_T_444;"
></div>
<div class="mobile-ad managed-ad article_fourth_intext_ad onScrollAds"
     id="article_fourth_mobile"
     data-ad-id="article_fourth_intext_ad"
     data-device="mobile"
     data-defer="true"
     data-load-visible="true"
     data-targets="inventory:btf;position:444;name:article_fourth_intext_ad;view:1;placement:TW_Article_M_444;"
></div>
	<div class="desktop-special-ad managed-ad article_fifth_intext_ad onScrollAds"
     id="article_fifth_desktop"
     data-ad-id="article_fifth_intext_ad"
     data-device="desktop"
     data-defer="true"
     data-load-visible="true"
     data-targets="inventory:btf;position:555;name:article_fifth_intext_ad;view:1;placement:TW_Article_D_555;"
></div>
<div class="tablet-ad managed-ad article_fifth_intext_ad onScrollAds"
     id="article_fifth_tablet"
     data-ad-id="article_fifth_intext_ad"
     data-device="tablet"
     data-defer="true"
     data-load-visible="true"
     data-targets="inventory:btf;position:555;name:article_fifth_intext_ad;view:1;placement:TW_Article_T_555;"
></div>
<div class="mobile-ad managed-ad article_fifth_intext_ad onScrollAds"
     id="article_fifth_mobile"
     data-ad-id="article_fifth_intext_ad"
     data-device="mobile"
     data-defer="true"
     data-load-visible="true"
     data-targets="inventory:btf;position:555;name:article_fifth_intext_ad;view:1;placement:TW_Article_M_555;"
></div>

	<div class="desktop-special-ad managed-ad article_sixth_intext_ad onScrollAds"
     id="article_sixth_desktop"
     data-ad-id="article_sixth_intext_ad"
     data-device="desktop"
     data-defer="true"
     data-load-visible="true"
     data-targets="inventory:btf;position:666;name:article_sixth_intext_ad;view:1;placement:TW_Article_D_666;"
></div>
<div class="tablet-ad managed-ad article_sixth_intext_ad onScrollAds"
     id="article_sixth_tablet"
     data-ad-id="article_sixth_intext_ad"
     data-device="tablet"
     data-defer="true"
     data-load-visible="true"
     data-targets="inventory:btf;position:666;name:article_sixth_intext_ad;view:1;placement:TW_Article_T_666;"
></div>
<div class="mobile-ad managed-ad article_sixth_intext_ad onScrollAds"
     id="article_sixth_mobile"
     data-ad-id="article_sixth_intext_ad"
     data-device="mobile"
     data-defer="true"
     data-load-visible="true"
     data-targets="inventory:btf;position:666;name:article_sixth_intext_ad;view:1;placement:TW_Article_M_666;"
></div>
	</div>
</div>
	</div>

																			
						<script>var showIntext = true;</script>
									<script>var showDesktopIntext = true;</script>
							

					<script>var exclude_related = false;</script>
		<script type="text/javascript">
	var currentTitle='Hurricane\x20Harvey\x20is\x20America\x27s\x20climate\x20future';
	var articleId = '720740';
	var signUpPath = '/signup';
	var articleArrayTags = 'feature,Politics,liberal,opinion,U.S.' ;
</script>

<script type="text/javascript" src="/js/3157dd1.js"></script>



		<script>(function(d, s, id) {
	  // fb like code
	  var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];
	  if (d.getElementById(id)) return;
	  js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;
	  js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3";
	  fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);
	}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));

	</script>

			</div>

			

<div id="footer" >
	<div id="left-footer-subscribe">
		<div class="logo"></div>
		<div class="dropdown-footer">
			<select id="dropdown-select" onChange="document.location = this.value">
				<option value="" selected="selected">More about The Week</option>
									<option value="https://subscribe.theweek.com/servlet/Show?WESPAGE=pm/Pages/load_order.jsp&WESACTIVESESSION=TRUE&PAGE_ID=19303DIR01&MAGCODE=WK&MSCCMPLX=801WKSAC4" target="_blank">Subscribe</option>
									<option value="/login">Subscriber login</option>
									<option value="https://subscribe.theweek.com/wes/servlet/Show?WESPAGE=csp/wk/dgord/Gift_Order_WK.jsp&MSRSMAG=WK&MSCEKX=WKTJ922&MSCCMPLX=801WKGAC2" target="_blank">Give a gift</option>
									<option value="//backissues.theweek.com" target="_blank">Back issues</option>
									<option value="https://subscribe.theweek.com/wes/servlet/Show?WESPAGE=opc-dp/pages/0118/edu/education.jsp&MSRSMAG=WK&PAGE_CAT=EDU&BTH=WKTJ948&DGT=WKTJ955&LISTID_BTH=802WKEAC1&LISTID_DGT=802WKEAC2" target="_blank">Classroom subscriptions</option>
									<option value="/newsletters">Newsletters</option>
									<option value="/rss.xml">RSS</option>
									<option value="/privacy">Privacy policy</option>
									<option value="/terms">Terms &amp; conditions</option>
									<option value="//www.theweek.co.uk" target="_blank">The Week UK</option>
									<option value="//service.theweek.com" target="_blank">Customer service</option>
									<option value="/contact">Contact us</option>
									<option value="//ads.theweek.com/" target="_blank">Ad info</option>
							</select>
		</div>
		<div id="get-four-text">Get 4 risk-free issues</div>
		<div id="footer-form">
						<form action="https://wesqa.customersvc.com/servlet/ValetOrder?" method="POST"  id="footer-subscribe-form">
				<input type="hidden" name="WESREDIRECT" value="TRUE">
				<input type="hidden" name="MAGCODE" value="WK">
				<input type="hidden" name="TRANSACTION" value="ORD">
				<input type="hidden" name="DESTINATION" value="http://theweek.com/risk-free-confirmation">
				<input type="hidden" name="ERRORDEST" value="https://theweek.com/error">
				<input type="hidden" name="PAGEID" value="td09309902">
				<input type="hidden" name="SOURCE" value="The Week">
				<input type="hidden" name="EFFORTKEY" value="WKTHZV0">
				<input type="hidden" name="EKOPTION" value="1">
				<input type="hidden" name="MSRSMAG" value="WK">
				<input type="hidden" name="MSCEKX" value="WKTE6L4">
				<input type="hidden" name="XMLRESPONSE" value="FALSE">
				<div id="form-input">
					<div id='loading-gif-box'><img src='/bundles/twsite/images/loading.gif'/></div>
					<input placeholder='Name' class="width-large input-full-width required" type="text" name="NAME" id="svc-name" required>
					<input placeholder='Address' class="width-med input-full-width required" type="text" name="ADDRESS1" id="svc-address" required>
					<input placeholder='Address 2' class="width-med input-full-width" type="text" name="ADDRESS2" id="svc-address2">
					<input placeholder='City' class="width-med input-full-width required" type="text" name="CITY" id="svc-city" required>
					<select class="input-full-width required width-small" name="STATE" id="svc-state" required>
						<option value="">State</option>
						<option value="AL">Alabama</option>
						<option value="AK">Alaska</option>
						<option value="AZ">Arizona</option>
						<option value="AR">Arkansas</option>
						<option value="CA">California</option>
						<option value="CO">Colorado</option>
						<option value="CT">Connecticut</option>
						<option value="DE">Delaware</option>
						<option value="DC">District Of Columbia</option>
						<option value="FL">Florida</option>
						<option value="GA">Georgia</option>
						<option value="HI">Hawaii</option>
						<option value="ID">Idaho</option>
						<option value="IL">Illinois</option>
						<option value="IN">Indiana</option>
						<option value="IA">Iowa</option>
						<option value="KS">Kansas</option>
						<option value="KY">Kentucky</option>
						<option value="LA">Louisiana</option>
						<option value="ME">Maine</option>
						<option value="MD">Maryland</option>
						<option value="MA">Massachusetts</option>
						<option value="MI">Michigan</option>
						<option value="MN">Minnesota</option>
						<option value="MS">Mississippi</option>
						<option value="MO">Missouri</option>
						<option value="MT">Montana</option>
						<option value="NE">Nebraska</option>
						<option value="NV">Nevada</option>
						<option value="NH">New Hampshire</option>
						<option value="NJ">New Jersey</option>
						<option value="NM">New Mexico</option>
						<option value="NY">New York</option>
						<option value="NC">North Carolina</option>
						<option value="ND">North Dakota</option>
						<option value="OH">Ohio</option>
						<option value="OK">Oklahoma</option>
						<option value="OR">Oregon</option>
						<option value="PA">Pennsylvania</option>
						<option value="RI">Rhode Island</option>
						<option value="SC">South Carolina</option>
						<option value="SD">South Dakota</option>
						<option value="TN">Tennessee</option>
						<option value="TX">Texas</option>
						<option value="UT">Utah</option>
						<option value="VT">Vermont</option>
						<option value="VA">Virginia</option>
						<option value="WA">Washington</option>
						<option value="WV">West Virginia</option>
						<option value="WI">Wisconsin</option>
						<option value="WY">Wyoming</option>
					</select>
					<input placeholder='Zip' class="width-small input-full-width input-zip required" name="ZIPCODE" id="svc-zip" required onchange="IsValidZipCode(this.form.ZIPCODE.value)">
					<input placeholder='Email' id="svc-email" class="width-med input-full-width required" type="email" name="EMAIL" required>
					<input value='United States' id="svc-country" class="width-med input-full-width required" type="country" name="COUNTRY" required>
					<input type="submit" value="TRY IT NOW" id="footer-subscribe-submit">
					<div class="subscribe-disclaimer">If you like your trial issues, you'll get 46 more for a total of 50 in all for just $1.39 per issue &mdash; a savings of 65% off the cover price! Plus &mdash; receive instant digital access.</div>
				</div>
				<div class="form-error"></div>
			</form>
		</div>
		<div class="magazine-img image-rollover"><img src="http://cdn.app.theweek.com/editions/com.dennis.theweek.issue.issue860/assets/styles/cover/public/iPad-cover-860_Thumbnail.jpg"/></div>
		<div class="social">
			<div class="footer_btns">
				<div class="fb-like" style="float:left;" data-href="http://facebook.com/theweek" data-send="false" data-layout="button_count" data-width="90" data-show-faces="false"></div>
				<script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs");</script>
				<div class='twitter-follow'>
					<a href="https://twitter.com/theweek" class="twitter-follow-button" data-show-screen-name="false" data-show-count="false" data-dnt="true"></a>
				</div>
			</div>
		</div>
	</div>
	<div id="right-footer">
		<div class="right-footer-left red-rollover">
			<ul>
															<li><a onClick="TheWeek.pushUAEvent('Page Tracking', 'Footer-Right Part', 'Subscribe');" href="https://subscribe.theweek.com/servlet/Show?WESPAGE=pm/Pages/load_order.jsp&WESACTIVESESSION=TRUE&PAGE_ID=19303DIR01&MAGCODE=WK&MSCCMPLX=801WKSAC4" target="_blank">Subscribe</a></li>
																				<li><a id="login-footer" onClick="TheWeek.pushUAEvent('Page Tracking', 'Footer-Right Part', 'Subscriber login');" href="/login">Subscriber login</a></li>
																				<li><a onClick="TheWeek.pushUAEvent('Page Tracking', 'Footer-Right Part', 'Give a gift');" href="https://subscribe.theweek.com/wes/servlet/Show?WESPAGE=csp/wk/dgord/Gift_Order_WK.jsp&MSRSMAG=WK&MSCEKX=WKTJ922&MSCCMPLX=801WKGAC2" target="_blank">Give a gift</a></li>
																				<li><a onClick="TheWeek.pushUAEvent('Page Tracking', 'Footer-Right Part', 'Back issues');" href="//backissues.theweek.com" target="_blank">Back issues</a></li>
																				<li><a onClick="TheWeek.pushUAEvent('Page Tracking', 'Footer-Right Part', 'Classroom subscriptions');" href="https://subscribe.theweek.com/wes/servlet/Show?WESPAGE=opc-dp/pages/0118/edu/education.jsp&MSRSMAG=WK&PAGE_CAT=EDU&BTH=WKTJ948&DGT=WKTJ955&LISTID_BTH=802WKEAC1&LISTID_DGT=802WKEAC2" target="_blank">Classroom subscriptions</a></li>
																				<li><a onClick="TheWeek.pushUAEvent('Page Tracking', 'Footer-Right Part', 'Newsletters');" href="/newsletters">Newsletters</a></li>
																				<li><a onClick="TheWeek.pushUAEvent('Page Tracking', 'Footer-Right Part', 'RSS');" href="/rss.xml">RSS</a></li>
																																																																		</ul>
		</div>
		<div class="right-footer-right red-rollover">
			<ul>
																																																																														<li><a onClick="TheWeek.pushUAEvent('Page Tracking', 'Footer-Right Part', 'Privacy policy');" href="/privacy">Privacy policy</a></li>
																				<li><a onClick="TheWeek.pushUAEvent('Page Tracking', 'Footer-Right Part', 'Terms &amp; conditions');" href="/terms">Terms &amp; conditions</a></li>
																				<li><a onClick="TheWeek.pushUAEvent('Page Tracking', 'Footer-Right Part', 'The Week UK');" href="//www.theweek.co.uk" target="_blank">The Week UK</a></li>
																				<li><a onClick="TheWeek.pushUAEvent('Page Tracking', 'Footer-Right Part', 'Customer service');" href="//service.theweek.com" target="_blank">Customer service</a></li>
																				<li><a onClick="TheWeek.pushUAEvent('Page Tracking', 'Footer-Right Part', 'Contact us');" href="/contact">Contact us</a></li>
																				<li><a onClick="TheWeek.pushUAEvent('Page Tracking', 'Footer-Right Part', 'Ad info');" href="//ads.theweek.com/" target="_blank">Ad info</a></li>
												</ul>
		</div>
	</div>
</div>

<script>
   if ($.cookie('LoggedIn') == "True") {
	    jQuery("#login-footer").text("Subscriber logout");
  	  	jQuery("#login-footer").attr("href","/");
  	  	jQuery("#login-footer").click( function(){
    	  	  document.cookie = 'LoggedIn=; expires=Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 UTC';
  	  	  	  $.cookie('LoggedIn', null); setTimeout(function(){location.reload();}, 2000);
 	    });
   }
</script>

	<script> // FOOTER SUBSCRIBE FORM
		var isFormFilled = true;

		function requiredFieldCheck(){
			isFormFilled = true;

			jQuery('#footer-subscribe-form .required').each(function() {
				if ( jQuery(this).val() === '' ){
					isFormFilled = false;
 				}
			});
		}

		jQuery('#footer-subscribe-submit').click(function(event){
			event.preventDefault();
			requiredFieldCheck();

			var formData = {
				'NAME'      : jQuery('input[name=NAME]').val(),
				'EMAIL'     : jQuery('input[name=EMAIL]').val(),
				'ADDRESS1'  : jQuery('input[name=ADDRESS1]').val(),
				'ADDRESS2'  : jQuery('input[name=ADDRESS2]').val(),
				'CITY'      : jQuery('input[name=CITY]').val(),
				'STATE'     : jQuery('input[name=STATE]').val(),
				'ZIPCODE'   : jQuery('input[name=ZIPCODE]').val(),
			};

			jQuery.ajax({ // save entry into log
				type        : 'POST',
				url         : '/footer-form-submit',
				data        : formData,
				dataType    : 'json',
				encode      : true
			});

			if(isFormFilled){
				jQuery('#footer-subscribe-form').submit();
				jQuery('#loading-gif-box').show();
			} else {
				jQuery('input.required, select.required').css('background','#FFFFFF');
				jQuery('input:invalid, select:invalid').css('background','#A8C9EC');
				alert('Please fill out all necessary fields.')
			}
		});
	</script>

	<!-- Facebook Pixel Code -->
	<script>
		!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)
		{if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()
		{n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)}
		;
			if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';
			n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;
			t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];
			s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,document,'script',
				'https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js');
		fbq('init', '617607501642362');
		fbq('track', 'PageView');
	</script>
	<noscript>
		<img height="1" width="1"
			 src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=617607501642362&ev=PageView
&noscript=1"/>
	</noscript>
	<!-- End Facebook Pixel Code -->


		</div>

				

	</div>
	</div>
</div>

	<!-- Body Bottom -->



<!-- [if lt IE 9]>
<script src="http://css3-mediaqueries-js.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/css3-mediaqueries.js"></script>
<![endif]-->

	<script type="text/javascript" src="/js/ddc9e4e.js"></script>

	
</div>

	<!-- Skimlinks-->
<script type="text/javascript" src="//s.skimresources.com/js/102000X1558252.skimlinks.js"></script>

</body>
</html>
