Scientists say the Chesapeake Bay island community of Tangier, which was first established over 400 years ago, will probably have to be completely abandoned in the next 25 to 50 years because of rising sea level, but Trump says there's no reason to worry.
Why not? Because he says so. Trump called the mayor and reassured him that the island is going to be fine.
Trump called James “Ooker” Eskridge, the mayor of Tangier, Virginia, after CNN reported on the island last week, The Daily Times of Salisbury, Maryland, reported (http://delmarvane.ws/2sxq0Jy).
“It was unreal,” said Eskridge, who spoke with the president Monday afternoon. [...]
“He said not to worry about sea-level rise,” Eskridge said. “He said, ‘Your island has been there for hundreds of years, and I believe your island will be there for hundreds more.’”
That's it.
There's no there, there. Trump didn't tell him he plans to help the island or take any action that may ensure its survival. He simply said not to worry about it.
Very reassuring!
When I think about this case, and countless other cases, I wonder just how epic the lawsuits will be when the communities are actually abandoned. I wonder who will pay for their relocation. I wonder if they will sue the government. Will insurers sue the government? Will they sue polluters? Will Congress end up bailing all of the involved parties out? Probably.
Doing something about climate change right now will be far less expensive than dealing with the repercussions in the future. Climate change is an economic time-bomb.