As an issue, climate change was unlucky: when nonspecialists first became aware of it in the 1990s, environmental attitudes had already become tribal political markers.

In this quote, Charles C. Mann reflects on the way climate change emerged as a political issue in the 1990s, at a time when environmental attitudes had already become deeply polarized. Mann suggests that climate change was "unlucky" because it entered the public consciousness at a moment when environmental issues had become tribal political markers—dividing people along ideological lines. This meant that the issue of climate change was quickly framed as a political battleground, where individuals' stances on the environment became linked to their broader political identities, rather than being viewed through the lens of shared concern for the planet.

Mann’s statement highlights the challenge of addressing climate change when it has become a polarizing issue. Instead of uniting people across political or ideological divides, the issue has often fueled conflict, with groups supporting or opposing climate action based on their political affiliations. The term tribal political markers suggests that environmental beliefs became part of a broader cultural identity, where agreeing or disagreeing on issues like climate change often aligned with other political beliefs and values.

The quote also addresses the broader social dynamics that influence how complex issues like climate change are understood and acted upon. Mann is pointing out that climate change was "unlucky" in the sense that its timing coincided with the rise of highly partisan political debates, which made finding common ground on the issue more difficult. In this context, the fight against climate change became entangled with other political struggles, complicating efforts to create a unified, cross-party approach to environmental policy.

The origin of this quote comes from Mann’s broader examination of how societal responses to climate change and other environmental issues have evolved, particularly in the context of political polarization. As an author and journalist, Mann has explored the intersection of science, society, and politics, and his perspective sheds light on the complexities of addressing global challenges in a divided political climate.