The Societal Impact of Climate Change
Rising sea levels and global temperatures have caused many countries to enact legislation aiming to combat the effects of climate change. Scientists have related the increase of natural disasters and melting ice caps to climate change and continue to urge governments and big businesses to take action on reducing carbon emissions. Economists predict that billions of dollars will be spent to fight global warming while others are building businesses to help reduce carbon emissions. However, few people discuss the societal effect of climate change and its disruption and destruction of everyday life. The effects of climate change may seem slow and intangible, but some countries and groups have been feeling the heat for decades.
In the United States, climate change has become a left-wing issue rather than a national concern. Many Americans relate rising temperatures to big businesses, clean energy, new legislation, and natural disasters. However, researchers have also found a strong connection between immigration and climate change. The influx of migrants from Central America can largely be accredited to the detrimental drought sweeping through countries like Honduras.
The droughts have encouraged many workers to cross the border in America to find ample working conditions. The podcast Heat of the Moment follows a pair of Honduran brothers Noel and Alcaldio as Noel migrated to New Orleans for work and Alcadio stayed home. The abnormally dry seasons have caused major delays and sometimes destruction in food production across the country. Noel wanted to stay home with his family but when the rain did not come he was left with few options. “(Noel) borrowed from the bank to buy pesticides for his fields, but when the May rains didn’t come, he lost the crops anyway, along with the money. So he sold the farm and moved north to the city to cut palms. But the work didn’t pay enough to support his family, so after five years of deliberating, Noel opted to go even further north to an entirely foreign city.” The drought has caused thousands of workers to lose their livelihoods, and many of those who have not migrated for work have turned to violence. As Noel traveled to New Orleans, he received word that one of his brothers has been murdered. Unfortunately, this is a common occurrence in Honduras. Amnesty International states that “The Northern Triangle of Central America (“NTCA”), composed of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, is considered one of the most dangerous places on earth, which has caused unprecedented levels of migration. The United Nations High Commissioner for refugees has called this a humanitarian crisis.” (2020) Human rights advocates are asking the government to allow these migrants to claim asylum in America due to environmental changes.
People all over the world are uprooting their lives to move to more secure climates. The rising tides and temperatures affect those most vulnerable first and hardest. Although climate change affects us all, it particularly affects farm workers, more than a third of the world labor force who count on the production of food as their livelihood. Author Paul Hawken states in his book Drawdown that droughts and farmland destruction has led to increased migration all over the world. He writes “On the socioeconomic side there is migration, the lure of higher income in cities, lack of market access, and high production costs for small holders when competing with industrial agriculture. Whatever the case, for many, it is cheaper to walk away from the land than to work it.” (2017, 41). This is extremely concerning for three main reasons, it will affect the food chain, the economy, and cause a huge refugee crisis throughout the world.
Central America is not the only area experiencing migration trends, people all over the world are experiencing the impacts of a changing climate, even people in our own backyard. Chicago is a city that is not often connected to climate change, but extreme floods have caused locals to form a climate change action plan. Heat of the moment episode “The Gross Gatherings” highlights the struggle of the Chatham neighborhood of Chicago. Cheryl Watson, a Chatham native, wants to stay in her childhood home, but extreme flooding has made staying stressful and dangerous. She is not alone; numerous Chatham residents experience sewage flooding whenever there is heavy rain. Tenants of this area are starting to migrate out of their beloved homes to be in an environmentally stable neighborhood. Heffernan states, “This is what climate change will look like for most of us. Not sudden or flashy. Not tsunamis or tidal waves, but the realization slowly creeping up, like water from a basement.” (2016). The four biggest cities in America all sit on or next to large bodies of water, and the rising sea levels will start to affect a majority of the country’s cities and completely change day to day life for millions of people.
The environmental and economic side effects of climate change are evident. The emotional and psychological impacts are not as clear. However, it is indisputable that there will be major changes for a majority of the world. If the world continues to heat up, we should expect an increase of refugees, natural disasters, and unpredictable markets. For those who do not believe in climate change, just take a look around at unprivileged neighborhoods and countries. Just because you can not feel the effects of climate change yet does not mean that it is not happening.
References
Hawken, P. (2017). Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming. Penguin Books. New York, NY.
Heffernan, S. (Host). (2016, May 18). The Gross Gatherings. Heat of the Moment. WBEZ 91.5 Chicago. https://www.heatofthemoment.org/features/flood/
Kumari-Drapkin, J. (Host). 2016, July 6). Drought Migrants. Heat of the Moment. WBEZ 91.5 Chicago. https://www.heatofthemoment.org/features/droughtmigrants/
