S2:E16 - Climate Migration hits the US Southwest Border

You’ve probably seen the “US Southern Border Crisis” plastered across news media the last few months. There is a surge of migrants coming from Central America, particularly what’s known as the Northern Triangle, highlighted by Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador. Only this surge is nothing new, it’s been building for over a decade. And the true cause of it is barely touched on in the news media, be it left or right leaning, and that’s climate change.

If terms like climate displacement, climate migration, and climate refugees are not too familiar, you’re not alone. And that right there is a big part of the problem. Of all the issues and problems climate change poses in the decades ahead, one of the largest and most overlooked is climate migration.

This is essentially when people are forced to move and change locations because climate issues, be it extreme weather or rising coastlines, have rendered their how and/or trade untenable. It’s hurting those most who are marginalized and living in lower-income areas, and it’s only going to get worse.

In this episode, we dive deep into Climate Migration, what it is, how its being discussed globally, and specifically how it is impacting people in Guatemala as an example of what lies ahead.

We’re lucky to have two amazing guests joining us for this episode:

• Amali Tower, founder and the executive director of Climate Refugees and member of the World Economic Forum
• Wilfredo Miron, Program Quality Manager for CARE in Guatemala, with my friend Jose translating his interview for us

If you are moved at all by this episode, and we hope and think you will be, please go and support their two organizations in anyway you can.

You can donate to Climate Refugees Here

And you can and should subscribe to their amazing newsletter, which you can do here

You can donate to CARE Here

As always thank you for supporting our partners and guests in the work they do to save this planet and all the life on it.

IN THIS EPISODE

3:50 - Intro to Amali Tower & Climate Refugees

7:19 - Intro to Wilfredo

8:10 - Overview of AmalI’s Work

9:10 - Intersection of Climate Justice & Social Justice

19:20 - Those Impacted the Most Don’t Have a Seat at Policy Table

28:50 - Getting Consensus on what do to about Climate Displacement

43:30 - Florida Keys will soon be Underwater

45:20 - What’s happening in Central America

56:20 - Climate Crisis & 10 Year Drought in Guatemala

1:08:00 - The United State’s Role in Assisting Guatemalan People