The article discusses the troubling trend of weather-based gambling, particularly in the context of increasing climate change-related disasters such as wildfires and hurricanes. It highlights how betting on weather predictions has a long history in the U.S., dating back to at least the 1880s. As extreme weather becomes more frequent, platforms like Polymarket have emerged, allowing users to place bets on various climate catastrophes.
The piece mentions the severe Palisade wildfire of 2025, where participants eagerly wagered on aspects of the disaster, raising ethical concerns about profiting from human suffering. Critics, including Bates College professor Tyler Austin Harper, have labeled this phenomenon as “depraved” and a form of “Capital-E Evil.”
Despite a recent cooling of the wildfire betting market, the availability of climate-related wagers continues to expand, fostering a society that may increasingly view environmental crises as opportunities for profit rather than urgent issues needing solutions.
Source link
