Migrate

Here’s a brief research report concerning an aspect of global warming that’s rarely or never in the mainstream media.  As summer temperatures and annual temperatures continue to rise, we’re coming to a point at which our air conditioners can no longer handle the load. Even worse, how to we eat when crops fail, due to the intense heat?

In learning to live sustainably, we have to make forecasts about where we’ll have living conditions in which we can do more than “survive” but can actually enjoy a better quality-of-life experience.

Many people in their 20s quit smoking to reduce their chances of getting lung cancer in their 70s. Many change to healthier diets in their 20s to reduce their chances of getting diabetes in their 70s. But migrate? I’ll add comments afterwards.

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THE GREAT CLIMATE MIGRATION

Climate Change Will Make

Parts of the U.S. Uninhabitable.

Americans Are Still Moving There.

Instead of moving away from areas in climate crisis, Americans are flocking to them. As land in places like Phoenix, Houston and Miami becomes less habitable, the country’s migration patterns will be forced to change.

 

Lucas Waldron & Abrahm Lustgarten

ProPublica 

Nov. 10, 2020

 

SERIES:THE GREAT CLIMATE MIGRATION

 

A Warming Planet and a Shifting Population

Over the past year, the advent of a professional economy powered by people working from home has quickened the conversation about where to live, particularly among millennials.

 

“Is now the right time to buy

property in Minnesota?”

 

“Is Buffalo the new place to be?”

 

  • How important is proximity to fresh water?

 

  • Should you risk moving somewhere that has fire seasons?

 

  • How far north do you have to go to find livable summers?

 

Americans have defied the norms of climate migration seen elsewhere in the world, flocking to cities like Phoenix, Houston and Miami that face some of the greatest risks from soaring temperatures and rising sea levels.

Those patterns seem likely to change.

New data from the Rhodium Group, analyzed by ProPublica, shows that climate damage will wreak havoc on the southern third of the country, erasing more than 8% of its economic output and likely …

 

… turning migration from

a choice to an imperative.

 

The data shows that the warming climate will alter everything from how we grow food to where people can plausibly live. Ultimately, millions of people will be displaced by flooding, fires and scorching heat, a resorting of the map not seen since the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. Now as then, the biggest question will be who escapes and who is left behind.

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Years ago, I was active in the World Future Society. I constantly looked at trends and patterns, rather than just the daily events featured in the mainstream media. However, I also had to learn to stay in touch with how I felt in the “here and now” to enjoy my current ongoing life experience. Otherwise, I would always be living for “tomorrow” and not enjoying my life “today.”

I had to rebalance my focus. Adding D’s comments …

 

“One of the biggest decisions any of us will make is where to live. We now need to look ten to twenty years into the future to make that decision. Please know that if an area has constant flooding, extreme temperatures or yearly fires, eventually the homes will be worth less. 

“Today, think about how life in an area will be in ten to twenty years, and then, if necessary, move to a place of safety.”

 

In southern Spain, many towns are already abandoned.  In the U.S. Midwest, many towns have been abandoned.  In some cases, it may have been caused by a shift in the industry that was supporting the town, such as when gold ran out or management found cheaper labor elsewhere.  But in many it’s been climate – and climate-related problems, such as a river or aquifer going dry.  And those problems aren’t “possibly going to happen” … they’re already happening.

It’s simply time for us to forecast, so we can adjust comfortably.

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