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arise from the presidential election in Brazil, however, which goes into its decisive round on October 28th, as this article is in press. The far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro, who was ahead in the fi rst round with 46% of the votes, has already announced he will withdraw from the Paris agreement, weaken environmental regulations, close the ministries for science and the environment, and cut the federal science budget. Considering the size and global importance of the remaining Amazon rainforest, Bolsonaro’s election could herald a global environmental disaster of unimaginable extent. Democracies are said to be more successful than autocratic regimes because the checks and balances and frequent changes of leadership ward off the dangers of extreme decisions. That remained true until the combination of populism and turbo-charged communications technology produced a situation where pied pipers can lead entire nations over a cliff and the truths of science are no longer heard. Which is why, even after a quarter of a century of discussions, the Katowice summit does not have much of a chance to stop climate change.