In response to a cyclone in Pakistan in 1971, Garrett Hardin wrote a letter to Science magazine. He said that the 500,000 people who died lived in a flood plain where, if Pakistan was not over-populated, “no sane person” would choose to live. Although the press blamed the horrific death toll on the storm, Hardin said that, “One thing is certain: we won’t blame the deaths on overpopulation. No one ever dies of overpopulation. It is unthinkable.”

Fast forward to this past weekend’s torrential flash flooding in Texas. Rivers rose 26 feet in two hours. Over 80 people died in Texas. Their deaths were attributed to flash flooding and poor weather predictions. Yet isn’t the root cause climate change? Haven’t we seen unprecedented tornadoes, flooding, and storms in the last decade?

One thing is certain: we won’t blame the deaths on climate change. No one ever dies of climate change. It is unthinkable.

Harry Chaucer, New Haven