Considering government leaders cannot even come to an agreement when it comes to keeping the people safe, we cannot wait for them to wake up. We have to demand they do. Proactively preparing for environmental concerns such as climate change, can reduce impacts while also facilitating a more rapid and efficient response to changes as they happen. Efforts are beginning at the federal, regional, state, tribal, and local levels, and in the corporate and non-governmental sectors, to build adaptive capacity and resilience to environmental impacts. But government leaders are heading in the opposite direction, and we must hold them accountable.