Ignoring rural people hurt by extreme weather also means ignoring impact of climate change, Appalachian author says

Silas House (Berea College photo)

Near-record flooding in the first two weeks of February damaged or destroyed more than 300 homes and caused at least one death in Central Appalachia, but it barely made a blip on the nationwide news. That's unsurprising, writes Kentucky author Silas House for The Atlantic: "When trouble comes to rural people—whether they’re in Kentucky, California, Montana, or Michigan—the media mostly shrug. The public as a whole is no better, as people seem to have little sympathy for these rural areas."

Many question why someone would want to live in a rural area in the first place, House writes, noting that, in 2017, President Trump told unemployed people in New York state that their best bet would be to move to a city. But community is important to people in rural areas, and so is place: "My parents, and many other people where I am from, say they need night skies undimmed by city lights. They cannot breathe properly in places that lack hills and pastures. Their native topography is in their blood and bones," House writes.

Because of they're more connected to nature, rural people are uniquely placed to see the impact of policy on our environment. "If coal mining isn’t devouring the mountain in front of your house, then it’s easy to leave all the lights on. If your home isn’t being carried away by floodwaters, it’s hard to feel the consequences of climate change," House writes. That doesn't stop many from voting for politicians like Trump who "value profit over the environment," but it's complicated, he writes.

Rural people often feel overlooked and judged by urban residents, and the news media have a long history of perpetuating rural stereotypes, House writes: "Americans claim to love the natural world, but we often negate the people who live closest to it. Insulting phrases like the middle of nowhere and flyover country are common parlance in everyday conversations and newscasts. Besides being irritating, the stereotype of rural people as inferior and separate has also allowed Americans to take the effects of climate change in this area less seriously, to let the devastation slip by unnoticed. By turning a blind eye to rural people, we are turning a blind eye to climate change."