It’s a particular human quality to react to disaster rather than take action to avoid it. The environmental crisis of climate change, a very real threat to the existence of the human species, is hardly near the top of any list of actions we humans and our governments take.

But as that climate crisis gets more severe–as we scramble desperately to find any way we can to keep up our current level of growth, consumption and industry–you’d better believe that when push comes to shove, we’ll do whatever it takes. Meaning, of course, that we’ll likely destroy the ecosystem until the last possible second (or what we think is the last possible second), then, disaster upon us, attempt to respond in a manner appropriate to the problem.

New Orleans residents, for example, are well aware that their city sits mostly below sea level and is at constant risk of simply being washed away. Sitting on the vast Mississippi flood plain, New Orleans finally experienced a few years ago the disaster that’s only a severe storm away. Next time, the city just might wash away for good–but for now it remains and, in the absurdity of human arrogance, rebuilds. As if the city itself deserves to be there, has a right to be there, heck, should be there.