Climate Concerns
The effects that climatologists had predicted in the past about climate concerns have now become a reality. Climate change has now become a reality today. Furthermore, the observable effects on the environment are now evidenced, especially in the area I am currently living in, Miami. Glaciers are shrinking, rivers and lakes are breaking up, sea levels are reducing, and farming activities are almost coming to a halt, all because of global warming.
The above are the major serious concerns posed by climate change in my area of residence. People are continuing to burn charcoal as an alternative source of energy, using poor methods of farming like excessive use of fertilizer, and we have started feeling the effect of these activities on our environment. Would I become a climate refugee? Yes. There is a possibility that if climate concerns are not addressed in my area, we will finally become climate refugees.
I consider global warming a serious problem, a second to the threat of nuclear war, and it could potentially ruin our way of life and the world as we know it. Notice I did not say ‘kill’ Earth because it would be too extreme; some species or even humans are possibly left to rebuild in the rubble. And, unchecked, it can and will cause a catastrophe. Here’s an analysis: if the temperature goes up a few degrees, methane pockets under the oceans will burst. Significant quantities of methane buried under ice, with the ice gone, may also surface. Here’s the point: methane, CH4, is an even greater greenhouse gas than CO2, maybe tenfold greater. Even after that, the greenhouse effect will accelerate before methane becomes carbon dioxide.
Because of natural disasters and high temperatures, millions and millions of people would have to flee to survive. They’ll want to move somewhere they’re better off. When people think immigration is an issue today, they don’t know how the future will be. The Defense Department had a name for these people for over 15 years: climate refugees.
To combat the severe effects of climate change that may soon swallow our community, I would consider other regions by advising the government not to allow climate refugees to dominate areas that have not felt adverse effects of climate change. U.S. people should leave areas suffering from severe weather and other climate change consequences. Massive displacements may come from areas on the southern coast (hurricanes), from the country’s center (fires, drought, tornadoes), some parts of the Midwest, almost all of California (fire, drought) and probably many other locations. Of course, these people need to move elsewhere. Those refugees will likely overwhelm states less impacted by climate change. Any states will have to make difficult decisions. The economy will be negatively impacted.
It’ll probably be like wars. Some states will be less affected. When resources are scarce, and the very survival of people depends on those resources, stable regions are likely to invade weaker parts with critical resources. The Pentagon has planned climate-related fighting for over 15 years. This trend is predicted not only to continue but to intensify. This causes sea levels to rise due to melting ice and water thermal expansion. Sea levels are expected to increase rapidly. This will entail losing much land near the oceans. Because this involves many of our shipping or fishing terminals and the economic effects of losing sea access would be immense.