The American Dream Is No Match for Climate Change

Sierra Isley and her girlfriend narrowly avoided buying a house in Asheville, North Carolina, after a large lien disrupted their purchase; a month later, Hurricane Helene’s remnants flooded their rented apartment and devastated nearby homes. Their experience illustrates how climate-driven disasters and rising insurance costs are making homeownership, long seen as a path to security and wealth, increasingly risky.

A First Street report projected climate risks could reduce the value of US homes by nearly $1.5 trillion by 2055. In polling for Grist, 58 per cent of likely voters, including 42 per cent of Republicans, said climate change would hinder their ability to achieve the American Dream over the next 20 years. The article argues that fossil fuels, long promoted as essential to prosperity, are contributing to climate risks that threaten that promise.