Volume 21 Issue 2
Can you feel the heat? At this point, is there anyone who doesn't? Year after year, temperatures keep reminding me that the human race is no better than a frog leisurely boiling in a pot.
In the many years I've worked on climate-change-related stories, be it as a reporter, researcher or editor, they have changed shape, from an abstract problem, to another note in risk registers, and finally, to the emergency it always was. The fire under the pot is a big one, and this edition spells its domains out pretty clearly: extreme weather, infrastructure, energy, public health, finance and organisational resilience are no longer separate conversations. They are becoming part of the same one.
On p12, Matt Minshall highlights that Europe and the UK are failing to deal with their own heat, hamstrung by existing laws and practices that make it harder for people to survive rising temperatures. Beverley Griffiths examines how repeated climate-driven emergencies are creating a state of continuous disruption, and asking what that means for organisations already under sustained pressure (p28).
Zainab Farooqui (p34) explores how the politics surrounding renewable energy are getting messier, showing that the future of the energy transition may depend as much on economics and public confidence as it does on policy.
Meanwhile, Emily Hough's review of Performing New Orleans on p14 reminds us that preparedness isn't built through plans and procedures alone. Culture, creativity and lived experience also have a role to play in strengthening resilience.
Across this edition runs a common thread: Resilience is no longer about preparing for isolated events. It's about adapting to continuous change. That requires more than stronger plans or better technology. It requires institutions that can learn, communities that can adapt, and decision-makers willing to respond to evidence as circumstances evolve.
The risks may be changing, but the principles of resilience remain remarkably consistent. The only question is: If we jump out of this not-so slow-boiling pot, can we jump far enough to avoid the fire?