Democracies keep playing yesterday's game'polite communiques, ritual conferences, cautious diplomacy'while autocrats innovate with disinformation, transnational networks, and the cosmetic trappings of pluralism. Where democratic appeals feel abstract, illiberal promises of order and quick results win. This is not only a political crisis but an existential one. Climate change is rapidly amplifying everything that makes autocracy appealing: displacement, food insecurity, collapsing local services, and economic shocks. Heat waves, floods, rising seas, and harvest failures are already harming millions; as extremes intensify, desperation grows, and democratic institutions will be tested'often in places least able to adapt. Authoritarian actors exploit that vulnerability, offering stability in the short term while eroding rights and accountability. If democracy is to survive, it must stop speaking only in ideals. First, reclaim the narrative'show how accountable institutions deliver safer...
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