Superstorm Sandy is more than a disaster. It is a warning to all of us about the direct effects of climate change. It was an extreme weather incident with an exacerbated impact.

Man-made carbon emissions are causing severe climate change more frequently and with greater devastation. We have several 100-year floods that have taken place in one decade. After the storm caused billions of dollars in damage, US politicians stated it was related to climate change and that elected leaders must take immediate action. It is not a political issue, although politics and science clash in most aspects of climate change.

Now in Indonesia, climate change confronts the polity. In November 2009, the world was impressed by President Susilo Bambang Yudho-yono’s commitment to a 41 percent carbon emissions reduction for Indonesia before 2020, with the international community supporting Indonesia. In May 2011, a friendly government responded by pledging US$1 billion to a three-phase support process and a number of related assistance programs was initiated by bilateral donors. These efforts are linked to the international effort to Reduce Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation” (REDD+).