Economics

It's Global Warming, Stupid

If Hurricane Sandy doesn’t persuade Americans to get serious about climate change, nothing will

Hurricane Sandy churns off the coast of Florida as a line of clouds associated with a powerful cold front approaches the U.S. East Coast on Oct. 26, 2012Photograph by NASA via Getty Images

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By Paul M. Barrett

November 2, 2012 at 3:31 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

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This article is part of the November 5, 2012 issue of businessweek.

Yes, yes, it’s unsophisticated to blame any given storm on climate change. Men and women in white lab coats tell us—and they’re right—that many factors contribute to each severe weather episode. Climate deniers exploit scientific complexity to avoid any discussion at all.

Clarity, however, is not beyond reach. Hurricane Sandy demands it: At least 40 U.S. deaths. Economic losses expected to climb as high as $50 billion. Eight million homes without power. Hundreds of thousands of people evacuated. More than 15,000 flights grounded. Factories, stores, and hospitals shut. Lower Manhattan dark, silent, and underwater.