@eldang@outside.ofa.dog Strong agree on your main thesis. It was perplexing (and somewhat contradictory ideologically) to me that the main character was so opposed to the corporations moving on to space. It seems like it would make it a lot easier to take care of Earth if everyone uninterested in the project left.
On your first but, tho, it is offhandedly mentioned that hurricanes have gotten better in recent years. The book is implied to take place past the peak (the narrator also mentions data that the number of consecutive extremely hot days is trending down yearly), but not back to our normal levels.