Donald Trump and climate change - A cloud with a silver lining?

PRESIDENT Donald Trump should have felt he was among friends when he visited Texas to see the damage caused by Hurricane Harvey floods.

After all, in last year’s election 52.2% of the Lone Star state’s population voted for him — or at least those registered to vote did. Hilary Clinton was supported by 43.2% but Green candidate Jill Stein got just 0.8% suggesting President Trump’s flat-earth policies on climate change resonate with a majority Texans.

Whether the destruction wreaked by Harvey provokes a presidential U-turn remains to be seen but there must be some comfort in the fact that it would not be the first, or last, U-turn forced on him when his stridency collides with reality.

A terrible reality is unfolding in Texas where the flooding may not peak until today or tomorrow. Thousands have been forced to flee their homes and at least nine people are reported to be dead in the Houston area.

It is not surprising that these events, like last week’s deluge in Donegal, are characterised as once-in-a-century events even if they have become, in one form or another pretty regular occurrences.

Accepting that we filled our tomorrows with weather events like this is just too disturbing.

The unfortunate people of Texas — or Inishowen — might not think so today but if their misfortune forced President Trump to end his planet-threatening denial on climate change, then some good will have come from their misfortune.