The words “climate change” do not appear in the new film Twisters. This is a strategic decision to appeal to a broad audience and avoid potential box office backlash. However, the film does address the dilemma of our disaster-prone era, where storms fueled by global warming cause widespread destruction and loss of life. The central question raised is how to best allocate society’s resources to respond to this increasing threat.
Should we invest in scientific research, state-of-the-art engineering, or focus on relocating communities to safer areas? Twisters attempts to tackle this dilemma in a somewhat provocative manner. The film portrays the challenges faced by scientists, engineers, and profiteers in responding to nature’s power.
The protagonist, Kate Carter, is an Oklahoma-born meteorologist with a passion for tornadoes. Despite its best efforts to keep things lighthearted, Twisters manages to delve into the ethics of climate adaptation. Kate’s journey involves a failed attempt at weakening tornadoes with a chemical solution, which results in tragedy. Five years later, she is drawn back into the world of storm tracking by a former colleague.
The film highlights the increasing toll of climate change on communities, as annual property losses from tornadoes continue to rise. The link between climate change and tornadoes remains contentious, with insurers attributing the crisis to other factors such as population density and building costs.
Twisters also addresses the exploitation of disaster victims by real estate developers looking to profit off their misfortune. Kate’s moral dilemma mirrors real-world issues surrounding the allocation of resources in disaster response. The film portrays the complexities of disaster relief efforts and the need for a more proactive approach to reducing vulnerability.
In the end, Twisters offers a somewhat simplistic solution to the challenges posed by climate-fueled disasters. It suggests that humans can engineer their way out of disasters without addressing underlying issues of sustainability and community resilience. The film raises important questions about resource allocation and disaster response, but ultimately falls short of offering a comprehensive solution.
