One of the Better Books on Climate Migration

Abraham Lustgarten has written an insightful book on climate migration, On The Move, The Overheating Earth And the Uprooting of America. Not surprising given that Lustgarten is a reporter on Climate Migration for ProPublica and the New York Times.

As someone that has been passionate about Climate Migration for years Lustgarten points out changes and raises issues I had not thought of. For example, rising heat will lead to increased suicides, thefts  and assaults.

The book has a social justice bent pointing out that rising temperatures will drive demand for energy which will balloon utility costs in some of the poorest regions of the country. It cites a report that Climate Change will also disproportionately hurt poorer communities that were hurt by redlining decades ago; with things like a "heat island effect" that can  spike temperatures  22°F more because of increased concrete and asphalt surfaces , and buildings and a lack of green space.

Increasing temperatures will increase pollens and allergens and lead to rise of vector-borne diseases and pandemics.

Follow the Water

Water scarcity may be the key determinant in leading to Climate Migration as more of America becomes parched. A research study in Mexico found the key variable in driving migration was the greater the drought the greater the out migration. 

Many areas of the country are at risk of losing their source of water. Arizona has published reports saying that by 2035 it will run out of water as the Colorado River dries up. The Ogallala aquifer in America heartland is down 150 feet. The Water Resources Institute that monitors water believes competition for water will be two to three times greater by the mid-century. Noting,

Extreme water stress--a characterization normally reserved for countries close to the equator--will plunge much of the land west of the Missouri Rive, roughly where the 100 th meridian divides the verdant East from the arid Great Plains, by 2040...

Adding that speculators are hoarding water. Yuk!

As temperatures rise  farming will require more water putting more stress on the demand for water.

Nuanced Migration

Lustgarten provides a more nuanced perspective on Climate Migration. People are not going to whole sale beginning moving. And if they move they may  not necessarily all move to America's north. People in rural southern areas may initially move to large metro areas like Atlanta.

However the north will experience a population rise, as well as the economic benefits.

The poor in the South may stay be stuck in the South and we may create islands of the wealthy.

All in all, On the Move is interesting, thought-provoking and worth a read.