Why it Matters

Climate change is already costing America billions while extreme polarization paralyzes our political response. But history shows environmental protection can unite rather than divide.

The Big Picture

Nancy J. Manring's new book "A World of Wounds" argues that today's environmental partisan divide is artificially manufactured—and that breaking through it could heal broader democratic fractures.

By the Numbers

• 2024 saw 24 weather/climate disasters with losses exceeding $1 billion each.

• 3 million Americans are already climate migrants.

• Online hate speech increases 22% during extreme heat (107-113°F).

• By 1989, three-fourths of Americans identified as environmentalists.

• The first Earth Day in 1970 mobilized 20 million people across the political spectrum.

The Disconnect

While climate impacts accelerate—from insurance crisis to heat-driven social unrest—Americans remain divided on solutions despite shared environmental values.

Manring documents how "perceived partisan divide in environmental politics has been purposely manufactured by conservative opponents." She points to evidence that Americans across the political spectrum care deeply about wildlife conservation, public lands, clean air and water.

What Changed

The 1970s environmental movement achieved massive bipartisan wins—EPA creation, Clean Air Act, Endangered Species Act—because environmental concern "became a unifier" during social upheaval.

The Current Reality

Climate change is already acting as a "threat multiplier" domestically:

• Homeowners in California, Florida, Louisiana struggle to find affordable insurance.

• Heat extremes force national park closures and disrupt fishing, recreation.

• Sunny-day flooding hits southern Florida coastal communities.

• Wildfire smoke from Canada triggers air quality alerts across 18 states.

The Opportunity

Manring suggests regenerating bipartisan environmental action could "help us rewrite the fractured story of contemporary American politics."

What's Next

Impact-driven leaders and investors should recognize that environmental solutions require coalition-building beyond traditional partisan lines. The climate crisis demands all hands on deck.

Go Deeper

• Read the full book: "A World of Wounds" on Amazon

• Historical context: The bipartisan origins of Earth Day 1970