RSF: The Social, Political, and Economic Consequences of Climate Hazards
About This Book
As climate change intensifies, weather becomes more extreme and climate hazards like wildfires and hurricanes become more frequent and more destructive. While climate change affects the entire global population, the risk and consequences of experiencing climate hazards are not shared equally. In the US, lower socioeconomic status groups and people of color are disproportionately more at risk for experiencing climate hazards and face more difficulty recovering from them. In this issue of RSF, sociologists Max Besbris, Manuel Pastor, and Anna Rhodes, economist Wolfram Schlenker, political scientist Pamela Winston, and an interdisciplinary group of contributors examine the impact of climate change on inequality in the US.
The eleven articles in this issue investigate the consequences of climate hazards for inequality, examining impacts on housing, neighborhoods, and employment; the ways inequality emerges in recovery from climate-related disasters; and how politicians and other actors respond to climate change. As flood risk increases in communities across the US, local authorities are partnering with federal agencies to implement buyout programs as a tool for managed retreat. James R. Elliott and colleagues find that in majority-White communities, where most buyouts take place, homeowners more commonly opt to sell their homes on the private market instead, which creates a revolving door of risk rather than eliminating it. Property insurance is essential for mediating losses and facilitating hurricane recovery, yet timely and fair claims are not guaranteed. Bad faith claims handling can put residents’ housing stability and financial well-being at risk, leading many to file lawsuits to dispute the outcome of their claims. Hannah K. Friedrich and col-leagues find that litigation against insurers is more likely in areas that have a higher percentage of Black residents and that case duration is longer for residents in these areas, reflecting that systemic procedural inequalities can amplify disparities in disaster recovery. Cadence Willse finds that in the wake of major climate-related disasters, Democrats are more likely to increase their support for environmental policies, while Republicans are less likely to vote in favor of them. Megan Mullin investigates whether support for managed retreat programs by local governments differs if residents are viewed as wealthy or low-income. She finds that local elected officials are more likely to support buyout programs for low-income homeowners.
This timely issue of RSF expertly enhances our understanding of the intersection of climate disasters and inequality.