I did my thesis on health impacts from extreme weather events in The Western Pacific, specifically Solomon Islands. I pulled the meteorological data and found no evidence of increased frequency or strength in the region. But what I did find was increased risk due to coastal and riverine development, population density and location of health critical infrastructure. When I talk about that work I try not to link it to climate change, although others do. But extreme weather events do happen and they happen in predictable patterns due to atmospheric and ocean currents (as the wise cat said) and they do cause health impacts and destroy property. The ocean and atmospheric patterns in the western Pacific places Vanuatu’s islands at highest risk for cyclonic activity, with some direct and indirect impact on Solomon Islands chain. Pinpointing the storm vulnerable areas and adjusting where and how buildings are constructed will reduce risk. That is not climate change, it’s garden variety risk reduction. So instead of insisting that people reduce their carbon footprint perhaps it would be wiser to invest in infrastructure that stands up to cyclones (hurricanes), king tides and tsunamis.