I found it interesting to have watched governors and mayors evacuate their citizens, having to convince them that, yes, Hurricane Sandy could really negatively impact their lives. Despite the fact that there was incontrovertible scientific evidence staring people in the face, they still needed to be convinced with harsh words and police mandates to change their behavior, if just for a few days.

And why? Because we tend to recommend evacuations if there is any reasonable chance of life-threatening conditions. Over time, people get tired of occasionally being told to evacuate unnecessarily, and they grow complacent regardless of the science. Human behavior is much less rooted in empiricism than we care to admit.

This is the problem with Americans' reaction to climate change, of which Hurricane Sandy may be a product. Scientists can present all the evidence, but it is to a public that either sees no way to change our path or believes it is an overblown non-phenomenon. Carrots dangled like the recent fuel-efficiency standards help to keep the scientific community on President Barack Obama's side, but they can be challenged in court, ignored by states or changed by future congressional sessions.

In the presidential election, I am voting for the Green Party's Dr. Jill Stein. Hurricane Sandy will end up being one of the most costly events in history, and many people have tragically paid the ultimate sacrifice with their lives. However, in comparison with the scientific consensus for the ramifications of human-caused climate change, this storm looks like a mere drizzle. Small changes in the cars that we drive, scrubbing sulfur from otherwise dirty coal and occasional investments in alternative energy will not change our overall climate course.

Dr. Stein presents a paradigm shift in public thought regarding our environment, including a Green New Deal (for more information, go to http://jillstein.org). Dr. Stein would bring a much-needed urgency to our current environmental policies, much like the governors and mayors recently ordering an evacuation before the coming storm.

John Dutton Shaker Heights