Elizabeth Kolbert on why we stopped talking about climate change

As heat waves, droughts, and surging insurance costs reshape American life, climate change has almost vanished from the national political debate. Why?

On this episode of It Turns Out, Pulitzer-Prize–winning author and New Yorker staff writer Elizabeth Kolbert explains why politicians on both sides of the aisle are steering clear of the topic. At the EPA, Lee Zeldin has shed jobs and regulations - including on toxins like mercury. And Democrats appear to be suffering from what one lawmaker calls “climate silencing.”

The physical consequences of climate change are accelerating. So why have leaders decided not to talk about it?

If you're interested in our show on how climate-driven insurance costs reshape where Americans live - which gets mentioned in the conversation with Kolbert - you can find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

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