Another hurricane, another “unforeseen” catastrophe. Hurricane Helene just steamrollered through the rural and mountainous regions of the Southeast, leaving destruction in its wake and a trail of excuses from Republican lawmakers who continue to deny the very thing that made this monster storm possible: climate change. You’d think they’d finally get the message after their districts were soaked, flooded and tossed around like a cheap inflatable.
But no. These guys are loyal — loyal to a former president who thinks climate change is a hoax, that is.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Let me paint the picture: Hurricane Helene didn’t just lightly sprinkle or offer a gentle breeze. Oh no, she showed up uninvited like that relative who overstays his welcome, except instead of awkward conversations, she brought apocalyptic winds and record-breaking flooding. And guess who was hit hardest? Rural, conservative voting areas in states that consistently elect lawmakers who can’t stop denying the obvious.
In Tennessee, Georgia and the Carolinas, entire communities and livelihoods are gone — literally — with the wind. Meanwhile, the GOP playbook remains unchanged, and constituents are becoming climate refugees. Several Republican lawmakers represent districts severely affected by Hurricane Helene, yet they voted against Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster relief funding before the storm. These lawmakers include Matt Gaetz, Anna Paulina Luna and Michael Waltz from Florida; Marjorie Taylor Greene and Mike Collins from Georgia; and Dan Bishop from North Carolina. Despite their districts facing widespread devastation, their opposition to the funding has sparked significant controversy, especially as their constituents now rely on the very aid they attempted to block.
It’s textbook cognitive dissonance. I get it — the environment isn’t “fun” to talk about. It doesn’t get the Republican base riled up like a good old-fashioned border wall debate. But folks, when the water’s lapping at your front door, maybe it’s time to stop caring about the partisan nonsense and focus on the fact that our planet is hotter than Georgia asphalt in July.
But here’s the kicker — these lawmakers aren’t ignoring the issue, they’re actively fighting against solutions. Renewable energy? Too expensive, they say. Emission regulations? Job killers, they cry. Some of them, including Greene, are even fueling the online misinformation and conspiracy theories campaign about FEMA’s response — a dangerous political game that could cost lives. False claims circulating online undermine public trust and can delay lifesaving assistance. FEMA’s resources are stretched, but the agency is working tirelessly to coordinate relief efforts.
Let’s not forget the broader context here. Many of these same lawmakers spent years aligning themselves with former President Donald Trump, who suggested raking forests could prevent wildfires. His stance on climate change has been no less dismissive, and yet, even with mounting evidence — stronger storms, longer droughts, more intense heat waves — their commitment to denial persists.
The harsh reality is the people on the front lines — those living in the rural communities that have been devastated — are the ones paying the price for political inaction. At the same time, there are conservative leaders, such as Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, who are starting to break from the pack. Under Kemp’s stewardship, Georgia is emerging as a leader in clean energy manufacturing, thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act — a bipartisan bill passed by the Biden-Harris administration aimed at combating climate change. It’s a reminder that protecting our environment shouldn’t be a partisan issue; it’s about safeguarding our communities from the increasing dangers posed by a warming planet.
So here’s the bottom line: The danger isn’t just in the storms. The real danger is in denial and putting politics over people. The people who are supposed to be representing rural communities, the ones on the front lines of these disasters, are failing them spectacularly. And if they don’t start listening to the scientists and working to protect their constituencies, it’s time we start firing them!
And we might want to install some solar panels while we’re at it.
Alicia Scott is chief executive of Coalitico, a Georgia-based consulting firm that specializes in providing strategic guidance and support to philanthropic organizations, nongovernmental organizations and advocacy groups seeking to drive meaningful change in public policy systems around clean energy and climate resilience.
