As the COP 28 climate talks continue in Dubai, it seems appropriate to do my blog post on the phenomenon of climate change. Climate change affects everyone, especially those who live in an agrarian society. However, I do not believe that climate change is a new phenomenon. The Earth has seen drastic changes in its climate since the development of life on our planet. I understand that climate change is a pressing issue and I do agree that human beings have accelerated the process of climate change, but this change in climate has always been inevitable. The article that stuck out to me was Jonathan Blitzer’s piece from “The New Yorker” claiming that climate change is the reason for the U.S. border crisis. Although I agree with his statement that it is a factor, I also believe that claiming that all human migration is a result of climate change is a far-reaching stretch. I’m sure that many of the individuals coming from Latin America are fleeing from climate related issue, especially those of an agricultural orientation, but many others are migrating due to other factors. These factors include but are not limited to failing economies, gang violence, political oppression, or crippling poverty. In general, people also migrate due to wars, genocide, and persecution. I may be wrong, but I do not view climate change to be the world’s number one issue at the moment. In fact, I believe that the issue of climate change should be low on the priority list of things that need to be address. I know that is a controversial statement, but the threat of global conflict is something I fear more in today’s day and age. However, I do not think the issue should be ignored entirely. I believe the West has been doing a decent job trying to cut carbon emissions, but more needs to be done by countries like India and China who produce the most pollution and do not seem to mind doing so. I will point out however that China has made many strides in cutting their carbon footprint in the decades since the 1990s. So, kudos to them!
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One reply on “Week 13”
Benjamin,
I agree that there are many reasons why people decide to migrate. Certainly, the search for a better (economic) life is a major driver, along with political repression and crime. But there is also mounting evidence that the effects of climate change (droughts, heat, etc.) are a growing cause as well. Land that previously had been fertile and on which farmers could grow subsistence crops to feed their families is becoming unusable. When that happens, they have basically two choices: migrate to a city (where there is crime and poverty and possibly no jobs) or head north to try get into the United States (or the EU if they are coming from Africa or the Middle East).
If you’d like to explore the issues associated with climate change in great depth, and if you’ll still be enrolled next fall, you should consider taking my other course, “The Policy Implications of Global Climate Change.” –Professor Wallerstein