Tales of climate refugees, natural disasters and mass exodusThe original exodus is a journey described in the Old Testament. Led by Moses, the Israelites escape from enslavement in Egypt. They wander the desert for 40 years until God appears on Mount Sinai and offers them a home in return for the promise that they will worship him forever. This story is central to Judaism, and the word has also become a metaphor for any great journey undertaken en masse. are a stapleAn important part of. A "staple diet" means the food, such as potatoes, pasta, or rice, that someone mainly lives on. of our news cycle. We are used to devastating images of impoverished and displacedForced to leave their homes people fleeing from floods, fires, cyclonesA rapidly spinning storm that forms over tropical oceans. , and hurricanes.

Rarely do such tragedies inspire laughter. We view them with fear about what could await us if we fail to stop the climate catastrophe.

But the extreme rainfall that hit the NevadaA state in the USA. Las Vegas is in Nevada. wilderness last weekend was received more with humour than horror. The Burning Man festival, which takes place every year in the Black Rock desert, was flooded, with festival-goers left stranded in a "sea of mud".

More than 70,000 attendees were stuck over the course of the weekend, forced to ration their limited supplies of food and water and told to refrain from showering, dishwashing or even using the festival's portable toilets.

The festival, which was first launched on a San Francisco beach in 1986, was founded as a gathering for anti-capitalistsPeople who believe in or take part in an economic system based on private ownership of businesses and goods. and activists. Nowadays, however, critics say it is a gathering of the ultra-rich which has a disastrous effect on the environment.

Some say the humour of the situation is obvious. In fact, there is a term to describe just this emotion: SchadenfreudeLiterally means "harm-joy". Schadenfreude is a German word that describes someone deriving pleasure from another's misfortune., meaning pleasure derived from the misfortune of another person.

But some say that we are missing a lesson in human resilience. After all, the festival-goers defied our expectations of human nature: there was no violence, selfishness or greed. In fact, the attendees assert that there was a heart-warming display of generosity, selflessness and solidarityShowing support for others, particularly members of another group. as the disaster went on.

It is a side of humanity that we rarely see, and often refuse to believe. But maybe it is our cynicismBelieving that people are only motivated by self-interest and not a good intentions. that gets in the way of making it a global reality.

Yes: Social media was swamped with posts speculating about the antics of the stranded festival-goers last weekend. But the reality is that people helped each other where they could, showing the best of the human character.

No: Regardless of whether everything turned out right, it is still inevitably funny to gloat at the wealthy elite getting stranded by a climate-related weather event.

Or... Both of these things can be true without contradicting each other. It is nice to see an example of stranded people creating a supportive community - but the ironies of this situation are still unavoidable.

Exodus - The original exodus is a journey described in the Old Testament. Led by Moses, the Israelites escape from enslavement in Egypt. They wander the desert for 40 years until God appears on Mount Sinai and offers them a home in return for the promise that they will worship him forever. This story is central to Judaism, and the word has also become a metaphor for any great journey undertaken en masse.

Staple - An important part of. A "staple diet" means the food, such as potatoes, pasta, or rice, that someone mainly lives on.

displaced - Forced to leave their homes

Cyclones - A rapidly spinning storm that forms over tropical oceans.

Nevada - A state in the USA. Las Vegas is in Nevada.

Capitalists - People who believe in or take part in an economic system based on private ownership of businesses and goods.

Schadenfreude - Literally means "harm-joy". Schadenfreude is a German word that describes someone deriving pleasure from another's misfortune.

Solidarity - Showing support for others, particularly members of another group.

Cynicism - Believing that people are only motivated by self-interest and not a good intentions.