Whatever communication plan the Biden administration had in mind on the refugees' cap, it failed. Next week, on April 22, it is Earth Day. President Biden will most likely announce an increased ambition for the 2030 target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We can best see the urgency of the climate crisis in the world's regions where you find the most refugees and internally displaced persons.
Your reporting is, as always, clear and lacking hyperbole . Thank you for that.
Where we are in Maine, the influx of refugees and integration into local communities has been well met by community outreach to assist with ESL, housing business startups. Etc.
A meaningful percentage of the effort has been to offset xenophobic resistance. But it’s working regardless the naysayers
State and local governments will become the eventual first line of support . This is where coalitions can be built , not by federal edict
Thank you for a very clear analysis of this aspect of the humanitarian crisis. Climate change will present many conundrums for us to deal with and this is perhaps the most heart-wrenching so far. I fear there will be many others. I certainly agree that the richer countries should bear responsibility for the refugees they create whether by conflict or environmental degradation, but immigration may not be the magic bullet we seek just yet.
Resettlement into America or other developed country effectively takes a low-carbon citizen and turns them into a high-carbon citizen. We must recognize and deal with the misery each individual family is immersed in. We must also convert the "developed" societies into carbon neutral entities. It is within our abilities to do both.
Perhaps a change in attitude will help. These people with low-carbon life skills should be brought to America and like countries as contributors to a new social order rather than as "objects of charity". They have much to teach us if we are willing to learn.
I think of people who have lived in refugee camps for years. What skills can they share with North Americans who are suffering mental and emotional distress during Covid-related lock-downs?
I think of farmers who grow all their own food in small plots with the help of perhaps one animal, feeding their families using only solar power. Their knowledge and techniques are far superior to our industrial farmers who grow one crop over vast acreages and replace depleted nutrients with artificial fertilizers.
Would our entitled citizens object to welcoming "skilled low-carbon educators" as much as they do to admitting hundreds of thousands of "charity cases"? Seeing ourselves as recipients of education from refugees might be a pill that our self-entitled society finds to swallow, but that medicine offers a solution to what is otherwise a very bleak outlook for both groups.
Hi Doug, thank you, I love your thoughts. Indeed, there is so much to learn from other lifestyles, like refugees entering western countries, or our own lifestyles of just decades ago when we repaired things instead of throwing products away when a part is broken.
I completely agree with your statement at the end. How can this be "justified by humanitarian concerns"?
And then there's that number of climate refugees that is going to keep growing. This is only the start. So, we need to start thinking about solutions. There are also still too many people who think refugees flee "for fun". If we just try to imagine what we would do if we couldn't feed our family if we had to fear for our lives on a daily basis, we might become part of a more compassionate world that will be a better place for everybody.
Switzerland is known for its humanitarian involvement around the world, but I'm convinced that there is a lot more that could be done.
Once again you bring clarity & common sense to a universal crisis. Immigration forced by climate change will increase exponentially with each year as climate related disasters cause large regions to be uninhabitable. Adding to refugees fleeing due to conflict & persecution the numbers swell enormously. It’s a humanitarian crisis that cannot be ignored. Countries must accept their fair share of immigrants especially those whose failures have exacerbated the climate crisis.
Thank you for a conscientious & well written article addressing this urgent issue.
Cannot understand the reasoning behind not increasing the amount of refugees allowed into the US. For humanitarian reasons alone the number needs to be increased and certainly those who are currently approved should be allowed to immigrate. This country seems to have a strange relationship with people who wish to come. When we need them for a labor pool, they are welcomed, and when that is over, no more are welcomed.
Your reporting is, as always, clear and lacking hyperbole . Thank you for that.
Where we are in Maine, the influx of refugees and integration into local communities has been well met by community outreach to assist with ESL, housing business startups. Etc.
A meaningful percentage of the effort has been to offset xenophobic resistance. But it’s working regardless the naysayers
State and local governments will become the eventual first line of support . This is where coalitions can be built , not by federal edict
Thank you, Steve. There are so many positive stories to tell, like yours, that always get less attention than the negative ones.
Doug DeLaMatterjust now
Thank you for a very clear analysis of this aspect of the humanitarian crisis. Climate change will present many conundrums for us to deal with and this is perhaps the most heart-wrenching so far. I fear there will be many others. I certainly agree that the richer countries should bear responsibility for the refugees they create whether by conflict or environmental degradation, but immigration may not be the magic bullet we seek just yet.
Resettlement into America or other developed country effectively takes a low-carbon citizen and turns them into a high-carbon citizen. We must recognize and deal with the misery each individual family is immersed in. We must also convert the "developed" societies into carbon neutral entities. It is within our abilities to do both.
Perhaps a change in attitude will help. These people with low-carbon life skills should be brought to America and like countries as contributors to a new social order rather than as "objects of charity". They have much to teach us if we are willing to learn.
I think of people who have lived in refugee camps for years. What skills can they share with North Americans who are suffering mental and emotional distress during Covid-related lock-downs?
I think of farmers who grow all their own food in small plots with the help of perhaps one animal, feeding their families using only solar power. Their knowledge and techniques are far superior to our industrial farmers who grow one crop over vast acreages and replace depleted nutrients with artificial fertilizers.
Would our entitled citizens object to welcoming "skilled low-carbon educators" as much as they do to admitting hundreds of thousands of "charity cases"? Seeing ourselves as recipients of education from refugees might be a pill that our self-entitled society finds to swallow, but that medicine offers a solution to what is otherwise a very bleak outlook for both groups.
Is it worth a try?
Hi Doug, thank you, I love your thoughts. Indeed, there is so much to learn from other lifestyles, like refugees entering western countries, or our own lifestyles of just decades ago when we repaired things instead of throwing products away when a part is broken.
I completely agree with your statement at the end. How can this be "justified by humanitarian concerns"?
And then there's that number of climate refugees that is going to keep growing. This is only the start. So, we need to start thinking about solutions. There are also still too many people who think refugees flee "for fun". If we just try to imagine what we would do if we couldn't feed our family if we had to fear for our lives on a daily basis, we might become part of a more compassionate world that will be a better place for everybody.
Switzerland is known for its humanitarian involvement around the world, but I'm convinced that there is a lot more that could be done.
Yes, you are so right; we need a more compassionate world.
Once again you bring clarity & common sense to a universal crisis. Immigration forced by climate change will increase exponentially with each year as climate related disasters cause large regions to be uninhabitable. Adding to refugees fleeing due to conflict & persecution the numbers swell enormously. It’s a humanitarian crisis that cannot be ignored. Countries must accept their fair share of immigrants especially those whose failures have exacerbated the climate crisis.
Thank you for a conscientious & well written article addressing this urgent issue.
Thank you!
Cannot understand the reasoning behind not increasing the amount of refugees allowed into the US. For humanitarian reasons alone the number needs to be increased and certainly those who are currently approved should be allowed to immigrate. This country seems to have a strange relationship with people who wish to come. When we need them for a labor pool, they are welcomed, and when that is over, no more are welcomed.
Your report is especially timely. Thanks.
Thanks Lilly, you're welcome!
Bravo! 🙏
Thanks!