A Review of Jeff Goodell’s The Water Will Come
Mary Ghawaly
I began reading Jeff Goodell’s novel The Water Will Come with the intention of understanding more about climate change. To preface, I have always believed in global warming and rising sea levels, recognizing the severity of the issue and the necessity to devote more resources against it. However, what I failed to realize was the rapid and painful transformations that global warming will bring to our world.
I was unaware that historical cities like Venice are turning into modern-day Atlantises, or that entire cultures face extinction. I accepted that there was a problem but diminished its importance. I must admit that a part of me wishes I hadn’t read The Water Will Come; the realization that civilization is in jeopardy and that humanity is reluctant to act is utterly terrifying. While the alarming consequences of global warming evoke a profound sense of fear within me, they represent a stark reality that demands immediate action. Addressing climate change now is crucial, for postponing our response could leave us without the luxury of choice in the future.
Synonymous with its name, the book focuses on one of climate change’s most drastic effects: rising sea levels. Goodell explores various ways sea level rise will dismantle our world. The book paints a bleak picture of society’s future. First, the United States stands to lose trillions of dollars worth of infrastructure along its coastlines, leaving many people homeless and creating an insurance dilemma. Existing flood insurance policies, many of which are inadequate, will make it challenging for insurance companies to help unhoused individuals find new homes. This poses a significant concern, particularly for impoverished communities who invest a majority of their savings in their homes. Additionally, certain regions of the country will experience a loss of food and water due to the salinization of the ground. As sea levels rise, more saltwater will be pushed toward the top of the ocean, contaminating food and water supplies. Lastly, rising sea levels will trigger an immigration crisis within the United States and across the globe, as sinking islands and diminishing food resources will leave people without homes and land.
Apart from the housing crisis and impacts on land, the adverse effects of sea level rise will manifest in other unpredictable ways. Goodell points out that the United States military will face a disaster due to the strategic positioning of many naval bases on coastlines. As coastlines erode, these bases will need to relocate and lose their advantageous positions. The military will not only have to cope with resource loss but also deal with the increased risks of vulnerability and violence. When a larger portion of the global population is struggling for basic necessities like housing, water, and food, the potential for violence escalates. Goodell’s ominous prediction for our future displays one of the many ways changing sea levels will alter society.
Climate change is one of the few issues that pose a threat to our extinction, yet it is also extremely polarizing. Today’s parties have demonized a purely scientific problem for political and economic gain. Many politicians have stimulated fear in their constituents, creating distrust in scientific reasoning. The problem is, when an issue is invisible or difficult to grasp, people have a hard time deciphering the facts. To describe why people seem reluctant to fight against climate change, Goodell states “The changes will occur over years and decades and centuries, not seconds and minutes and hours. It’s exactly the kind of threat that we humans are genetically ill-equipped to deal with.” Goodell continues that humans “are not wired to make decisions about barely perceptible threats that gradually accelerate over time” (Goodell 13).
As a society, we are too afraid to confront the gradual rise of the sea, yet the signs of climate change are far too numerous to ignore any longer. We must be willing to endure some minor economic losses and societal shifts in the present to safeguard our future. Moreover, we need to stop electing politicians who deny climate change by using fear of corruption as an excuse. Instead, we should focus on creative and innovative solutions to combat global warming effectively and collectively. Climate change is real, and it's here – we must act.