Unnatural Disasters

In less than fifty years, there could be 150 million refugees fleeing environmental disaster, says this article in the UK's Guardian. Already outnumbering political refugees, environmental refugees are still not afforded the attention their plight demands. Oftentimes it is the countries least responsible for global environmental change that are most affected and least capable of dealing with its negative consequences. Furthermore, argues the author, the lack of international support for these refugees is a serious problem. "Without proper environmental refugee status," he cautions, "the displaced could be condemned to a national economic and geographical lottery, and to the patchwork availability of resources and application of immigration policies." It is therefore incumbent upon the international community not only to begin curbing now the practices leading to global warming but also to put time, effort, and resources into managing the problem of refugees. – YaleGlobal