Climate disaster busts in at VP debate

Plus, the era of redrawing national borders for climate change begins in Europe

In today’s edition:

— Climate change will be hard to ignore at Tuesday’s vice presidential debate after Helene

— Era of redrawing national borders for climate change begins in Europe

— Small nations plead for survival from rising seas at UN

— Zillow to add climate risk data on home listings

— China now has two-thirds of global wind capacity

Tim Walz, left, and JD Vance. Photos: Gage Skidmore.

With tens of millions of people still recovering from last week’s hurricane and another storm bearing down on the U.S., the impact of climate change will be hard to ignore at Tuesday’s vice presidential debate.

Vice presidential candidates Tim Walz and JD Vance face off in New York and while they likely had not expected to have to argue about the climate, like all future politicians they will have no choice.

The window of opportunity after a natural disaster does not last long in the public consciousness. But with power still off to millions and many stranded without food and water, it will still be open when Walz and Vance take the stage.

Vice presidential debates don’t typically draw much attention, and this year was expected to be no different. But with such a large part of the country hit - including some swing states — we expect the candidates to go at it.

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The 90-minute debate will start at 9 p.m. ET tonight at the CBS Broadcast Center in Manhattan and moderated by the network’s “Evening News” anchor Norah O’Donnell and “Face the Nation” moderator Margaret Brennan.

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Remarks will likely focus on accusations of not doing enough in disaster relief, and we expect fierce fact checking by the moderators to dispel the type of fraudulent claims we’ve heard spun in the last few days.

Of the two, Walz has more wiggle room on climate experience. But Vance has worked in venture capital and might have some background to draw on, provided he can stray from the Trump message. Trump himself got smacked at one of his rallies Monday when he said climate change is a hoax.

The reality is far different. With a disaster such as Helene so fresh in voter minds, and possibly even threatening early voting efforts, it is an issue the candidates would be advised — at least this one time — not to, um, blow off. . . .

Don’t forget to contact me directly if you have suggestions or ideas dcallaway@callawayclimateinsights.com.

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On the Theodul glacier. Photo: Jürg Stuker/flickr.

Era of redrawing borders for climate change begins in Europe