In communities across the United States, the effects of climate change are already displacing tens of thousands of Americans from their homes. How should the federal government respond? What are the responsibilities of homeowners and insurers?

These questions lie at the heart of The Great Displacement: Climate Change and the Next American Migration, a new book by Jake Bittle, a reporter and staff writer at Grist. 

On this episode, Bittle joins Commonweal managing editor Isa Simon for a wide-ranging discussion about how sea-level rise, extreme heat, and water scarcity are reshaping American society. 

For further reading: 

• Bill McKibben on suburban development and the environment
• Vincent Miller on the theology of wildfires
• Solmaz Daryani documents drought in Iran