As climate change intensifies, weather becomes more extreme and climate hazards like wildfires and hurricanes become more frequent and more destructive. While climate change affects the entire global population, the risk and consequences of experiencing climate hazards are not shared equally. In the U.S. lower socioeconomic status groups and people of color are disproportionately more at risk for experiencing climate hazards and face more difficulty recovering from them. In this issue of RSF, sociologists Max Besbris, Manuel Pastor, and Anna Rhodes, economist Wolfram Schlenker, political scientist Pamela Winston, and an interdisciplinary group of contributors examine the impact of climate change on inequality in the U.S.

The 11 articles in this issue investigate the consequences of climate hazards for inequality, examining impacts on housing, neighborhoods, and employment; the ways inequality emerges in recovery from climate-related disasters; and how politicians and other actors respond to climate change. As flood risk increases in communities across the U.S., local authorities are partnering with federal agencies to implement buyout programs as a tool for managed retreat. James R. Elliott and colleagues find that in majority-White communities, where most buyouts take place, homeowners more commonly opt to sell their homes on the private market instead, which creates a revolving door of risk rather than eliminating it. Property insurance is essential for mediating losses and facilitating hurricane recovery, yet timely and fair claims are not guaranteed. Bad faith claims handling can put residents’ housing stability and financial wellbeing at risk, leading many to file lawsuits to dispute the outcome of their claims. Hannah K. Friedrich and colleagues find that litigation against insurers is more likely in areas that have a higher percentage of Black residents and that case duration is longer for residents in these areas, reflecting that systemic procedural inequalities can amplify disparities in disaster recovery. Cadence Willse finds that in the wake of major climate-related disasters, Democrats are more likely to increase their support for environmental policy issues, while Republicans are less likely to vote in favor of environmental policies.Megan Mullin investigates whether support for managed retreat programs by local governments differ if residents are viewed as wealthy or low-income. She finds that local elected officials are more likely to support buyout programs for low-income homeowners.

This timely issue of RSF expertly enhances our understanding of the intersection of climate disasters and inequality.

MAX BESBRIS is the H.I. Romnes Associate Professor of Sociology, University of Wisconsin-Madison

MANUEL PASTOR is a Distinguished Professor of Sociology and American Studies & Ethnicity, University of Southern California.

ANNA RHODES is an associate professor of sociology, Rice University

WOLFRAM SCHLENKER is the Ray A. Goldberg Professor of the Global Food System, Harvard University

PAMELA WINSTON was a senior analyst, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (retired)

CONTRIBUTORS

Brian Y. An, Asad L. Asad, Laura Bakkensen, Max Besbris, Raphael W. Bostic, Phylicia Lee , Ingrid Gould Ellen, James R. Elliott, Dania Francis, Hannah K. Friedrich, Filiz Garip, Kate Harwood, Keren Horn, Jackelyn Hwang, Andrew Jakabovics, JasonR. Jurjevich, Mark Kear, Kevin Loughran, Tyler W. McDaniel, Rachel Meltzer, Michael Méndez, Megan Mullin, AnthonyW. Orlando, Manuel Pastor, Carlo A. Chunga Pizarro, A. Alexander Priest, Anna Rhodes, Seva Rodnyansky, Wolfram Schlenker, Beth Tellman, Claudia Valencia-Uribe, Cadence Willse, Pamela Winston