The deadly floods and storms that increasingly batter population centers in Japan and elsewhere as well as the epic forest fires enveloping swaths of territory in Australia embody the devastating impact of human-induced climate change.

Yet, policymakers in the leading emitting countries — China, the United States, India, Russia and Japan — show no urgency to reverse climate change, as evidenced by the collapse of the COP 25 climate summit in Madrid at the end of last year.

In these circumstances, better public understanding about the climate-disaster link could swing public opinion in favor of urgent action.