"US Steps Back From Global Climate Efforts"

 

US President Donald Trump signs an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Monday.

January 21, 2025 at 6:29 PM GMT+6

President Donald Trump initiated the United States’ exit from the Paris Agreement on his first day in office, signaling a major step back in the global fight against climate change. This decision was part of a broader series of executive actions aimed at reshaping US energy policy. Trump also moved to dismantle policies supporting electric vehicles, froze offshore wind development, and took steps to prioritize fossil-fuel production in the nation’s energy strategy.

Additionally, the focus shifts to Los Angeles in this newsletter, where questions are being raised about the city’s future, given the threat of recurring catastrophic wildfires. Should some parts of LA be considered uninhabitable in the face of these climate risks? The city’s mayor has expedited rebuilding efforts, but with the rising threat of future fires, experts argue that some areas might no longer be safe to live in.

In LA County, a California program introduced last year offered up to $350,000 in loans to help those displaced by the 2018 and 2020 wildfires move to safer areas, but it quickly ran out of funds. Experts caution that while managed retreat has been effective in addressing other climate risks, such as sea-level rise, it may not be suitable for wildfire-prone regions. Researchers like Kathryn McConnell of Brown University and Liz Koslov of UCLA note that wildfires present unique challenges that make relocation more complicated.

Professor Miriam Greenberg from the University of California, Santa Cruz, emphasizes that more research is needed before managed retreat programs can be tailored to wildfire-prone regions. In some cases, staying in these areas and learning from indigenous practices may be a better solution for managing fire risks.

In contrast to the relatively clear-cut nature of sea-level rise, areas affected by wildfires often experience more volatile conditions. Abandoned land may become more prone to fires due to overgrowth, as seen in some Mediterranean regions. Managed retreat is also challenging due to the deep emotional and social connections people have to their homes. For example, in Oakwood Beach, Staten Island, residents were offered buyouts after Hurricane Sandy. Though successful in some respects, the program left many residents feeling disconnected from their former homes, as the land was later repurposed for a soccer complex.

Without large-scale programs to facilitate managed retreat, many individuals are left to fend for themselves. The population of New Orleans never fully recovered after Hurricane Katrina, and post-disaster housing instability remains a significant barrier to recovery.

Jake Bittle, author of The Great Displacement: Climate Change and the Next Great American Migration, suggests that while LA will likely see many homes rebuilt after the 2025 fires, not all residents will be able to afford it. Insurance challenges may make it difficult for those without adequate coverage to return. However, Bittle warns against oversimplifying the issue, as even wealthier residents may struggle to rebuild in areas with complex terrain.

Migration trends are also complicating the question of managed retreat. As Bittle’s research shows, Americans are increasingly moving toward high-risk areas like Florida, Texas, and Arizona, even though these regions have experienced costly climate-related disasters. This trend suggests that addressing climate-related displacement may be more difficult than it seems.

Ultimately, it may be the rising cost of insurance that forces residents to reconsider rebuilding in vulnerable areas, though this shift will likely occur gradually.