Texas must stop ignoring climate change

Texas Disasters: Connected by Climate Change, Separated by Denial

In August 2017, Hurricane Harvey struck the Texas Gulf Coast with record-breaking rainfall, killing over 100 people. In February/March 2024, the Texas Panhandle suffered the largest wildfires in state history, burning over 1 million acres. Different disasters, same root cause: climate change.

The Texas legislature refuses to acknowledge the role of climate change in these events, instead choosing to ignore the elephant in the room. A recent report on the wildfires, compiled by a special committee, notably fails to mention climate change, despite the ever-increasing frequency and intensity of such disasters.

...[providing better equipment and training for first responders is good], [but] ignoring climate change is a glaring oversight...How could the investigative committee miss the climate change elephant in the room?

Climate change denialism is prevalent among Texas lawmakers, who prefer to pander to the fossil fuel industry. Even when oil wells are identified as a major cause of wildfires, the report fails to hold the industry accountable, instead meekly requesting the state's oil regulator to address the issue, despite their chronic underperformance.

Texas cannot continue to stick its head in the sand, ignoring the reality of climate change. The state must acknowledge the role of human-induced climate disruption in these disasters and take meaningful action to tackle the underlying causes, rather than simply addressing the symptoms.

White is the climate policy and outreach specialist for the Texas office of Public Citizen.