Climate Politics Must Evolve Beyond 'Stopping' to Embracing Adaptation, Leah Aronowsky Suggests
As climate change ravages communities worldwide, climate politics has shifted from its singular focus on "stopping" global warming to grappling with the immediate consequences of a changed world. No longer can policymakers solely concentrate on reducing carbon emissions; adaptation is now a pressing concern that demands radical transformation of social institutions.
The current infrastructure-centric approach to climate adaptation – strengthening seawalls and retrofitting buildings for extreme weather events – neglects questions about the institutions conditioning how people experience the political impacts of climate change. Policymakers must confront difficult choices: allowing property insurance markets to operate freely or backstopping high-risk regions, maintaining disaster aid systems that only protect property owners, or guaranteeing equitable recovery support.
The stakes are high, with a national insurance crisis looming in the United States and workers like UPS drivers fighting for on-the-job heat exposure protections. The Biden administration's recent $1.2 billion payout to Arizona, Nevada, and California to reduce their water usage also highlights the need for more proactive measures.
Climate politics has already moved beyond technocratic frameworks when it comes to mitigation. From the Kyoto protocol to national-level industrial policy debates, climate has become a genuinely political issue that pits competing interests and values against each other. However, even as climate migrated from the preserve of elites to more familiar domains of struggle, it remained restricted to the realm of decarbonization.
A truly comprehensive climate politics must apply the same imagination to adaptation – transforming social institutions not only to prevent future warming but also to manage the climate impacts already reshaping everyday life. By abandoning the apocalyptic framing that has dominated climate discourse, policymakers can acknowledge that climate change will manifest as familiar problems made worse, rather than an all-powerful force that will overwhelm human civilization.
The terrain of this struggle is beginning to take shape, with proposals like the Council on Foreign Relations' reforms to property insurance markets and the Climate and Community Institute's Housing Resilience Agencies offering stark contrasts. The question is no longer whether we will reshape our institutions to manage climate impacts but how – and whose vision will prevail.
Ultimately, a fundamental shift in climate politics is needed to address the ongoing reality that climate change is already reshaping our world. As Leah Aronowsky, assistant professor at the Columbia Climate School, suggests, this new approach must be grounded in the understanding that climate adaptation is not a distinct technical challenge but rather continuous with ongoing political struggles.
As climate change ravages communities worldwide, climate politics has shifted from its singular focus on "stopping" global warming to grappling with the immediate consequences of a changed world. No longer can policymakers solely concentrate on reducing carbon emissions; adaptation is now a pressing concern that demands radical transformation of social institutions.
The current infrastructure-centric approach to climate adaptation – strengthening seawalls and retrofitting buildings for extreme weather events – neglects questions about the institutions conditioning how people experience the political impacts of climate change. Policymakers must confront difficult choices: allowing property insurance markets to operate freely or backstopping high-risk regions, maintaining disaster aid systems that only protect property owners, or guaranteeing equitable recovery support.
The stakes are high, with a national insurance crisis looming in the United States and workers like UPS drivers fighting for on-the-job heat exposure protections. The Biden administration's recent $1.2 billion payout to Arizona, Nevada, and California to reduce their water usage also highlights the need for more proactive measures.
Climate politics has already moved beyond technocratic frameworks when it comes to mitigation. From the Kyoto protocol to national-level industrial policy debates, climate has become a genuinely political issue that pits competing interests and values against each other. However, even as climate migrated from the preserve of elites to more familiar domains of struggle, it remained restricted to the realm of decarbonization.
A truly comprehensive climate politics must apply the same imagination to adaptation – transforming social institutions not only to prevent future warming but also to manage the climate impacts already reshaping everyday life. By abandoning the apocalyptic framing that has dominated climate discourse, policymakers can acknowledge that climate change will manifest as familiar problems made worse, rather than an all-powerful force that will overwhelm human civilization.
The terrain of this struggle is beginning to take shape, with proposals like the Council on Foreign Relations' reforms to property insurance markets and the Climate and Community Institute's Housing Resilience Agencies offering stark contrasts. The question is no longer whether we will reshape our institutions to manage climate impacts but how – and whose vision will prevail.
Ultimately, a fundamental shift in climate politics is needed to address the ongoing reality that climate change is already reshaping our world. As Leah Aronowsky, assistant professor at the Columbia Climate School, suggests, this new approach must be grounded in the understanding that climate adaptation is not a distinct technical challenge but rather continuous with ongoing political struggles.
. They should think about supporting people who are already struggling with heat exposure on the job 
. I mean, UPS drivers have to deal with this every day. It's not just about saving water in AZ, NV, and CA 
, but also about making sure everyone has access to basic protections 
.
adaptation ain't just about throwin' more cash at problems, it's about fundamentally changin' how we design our societies 
. We need to stop thinkin' of climate change as this huge problem that can be solved by tech or policy, and start seein' it as a natural part of human existence. Like, the idea of "disaster aid" is already so outdated 
. How about we focus on buildin' in resilience from the get-go? We need to rethink our entire approach to development and make sure that no one's left behind when the climate changes 
i mean we cant just keep fighting to stop global warming its 2025 lol how bout adapting to the new world? 
and not just focus on property insurance markets but on people too 
what about the insurance markets that prioritize property over people, or the disaster aid systems that only protect the wealthy? shouldn't our priorities be shifting towards supporting those most vulnerable to climate impacts?
. We'll need to rethink how we build our infrastructure, how we support people who are affected by extreme weather events, and how we make sure everyone has access to resources 
. It's not just about throwing money at the problem, it's about making systemic changes that actually work 
. We need to move beyond the "we're all gonna die" narrative and start thinking about how to create a more equitable world for everyone 
. It's not just about saving the planet, it's about making sure people have access to basic necessities like food, water, and healthcare 
.
. We need to be thinking about how to manage the impacts of climate change, not just mitigate it 
. And ultimately, it's all about who gets to shape the future and what kind of world we want to create 
.
i'm like totally blown away by leah aronowsky's thoughts on climate politics!!! 
she's right on point, we can't just keep stopping global warming, we need to start adapting to the changes already happening 
! and it's not just about tech solutions either, we need to transform our social institutions too 
? wouldn't it be awesome if we could make sure everyone has access to affordable healthcare and recovery support after a disaster 
?! and yeah, the us national insurance crisis is, like, super alarming 
. leah's right, it's time for a fundamental shift in climate politics 
let's do this!!! 
. We need a fundamental shift in climate politics that acknowledges that adaptation is part of the solution 
. Will we keep fighting for the status quo or do we need a more radical overhaul? Only time will tell 
.
.