Monday, February 21, 2011

50-Million Climate Refugees Predicted by 2020

If you think the US won't be militarizing their border with Mexico, think again.

A report delivered at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science warns that 50-million climate change refugees are expected to flood into the "global north" by 2020.   Know that beachfront property in Costa Rica you were always dreaming about?  Best you forget about it.

Cristina Tirado, a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, said,  "When people are not living in sustainable conditions, they migrate."  She noted that southern Europe is already struggling to deal with environmental refugees fleeing Africa.

Gwynne Dyer has a slightly different take.   He says history shows us that, when societies face famine, they first thing they do is raid their neighbours.   And the neighbours, who are probably in trouble themselves, aren't keen on sharing.  It's the subject of Dyer's aptly named book, "Climate Wars."

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