US suffers world's first climate change exodus: study

[donsu]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060816/wl_afp/usenvironmentclimate_060816195121


The first mass exodus of people fleeing the disastrous effects of climate change is not happening in low-lying Pacific islands but in the world's richest country, a US study said

"The first massive movement of climate refugees has been that of people away from the Gulf Coast of the United States," said the Earth Policy Institute, which has warned for years that climate change demands action now.

Institute president Lester Brown said that about a quarter of a million people who fled the devastating impact of Hurricane Katrina a year ago must now be classed as "refugees".

"Interestingly, the country to suffer the most damage from a hurricane is also primarily responsible for global warming," he said.

-snip-

"We estimate that at least 250,000 of them have established homes elsewhere and will not return," he said.

"They no longer want to face the personal trauma and financial risks associated with rising seas and more destructive storms. These evacuees are now climate refugees."

-snip-
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so far this year, China seems to be getting the worst hurricanes and part of China has refugees from a drought area too.

tick, tick, tick

[opihimoimoi]

1. For years I have said Florida will soon be surrounded by sand bag dikes

It was in just to those non believers who think GW is a JOKE

Now we see its true and instead of helping...they are fleeing...how selfish of them.

[don954]

2. na, were better engineers than that here in S Florida

the state already has engineers in Denmark studying the dikes and sea-walls to learn now to create a massive below sea-level landmass.

[opihimoimoi]

3. Better start soon, the sea level increases are already HERE...

[don954]

4. our gov is Jeb

he will wait till the water is lapping on A1A (the east coast Florida ocean drive). Currently we have reef, breakwater, and beach replenishment going on, and all new seaside buildings are being built 20-30' above sea level. its a @$@% getting up their driveways... :) I think the strategy is to sell the entire shoreline and let them build the mounds for the buildings, then go in and fill in the gaps.. Typical republican way to do it. Getting harder and harder to find a public beach nowadays..

[opihimoimoi]

5. This will pale when food production is impaired due to lack of land

and...fresh water

We are in a bind worldwide.....damn/////

[Greyhound]

7. Funny you should mention that. I have always enjoyed it when I get

a gig in Vancouver BC, one of the nicest populations and a beautiful city, but there are hardly any public beaches there, at least that I could find, the whole shore seems to be private property.

I'm not surprised to hear that FL is going this way. Very sad. :(

[gasperc]

6. GW is happening slow enough to trick people

Most if not all conservatives just plain think GW is a hoax. For those of us that have seen the scientific evidence, or inconvienent truth or listened to one of the 928 to 0 experts we know it is happening.

Until a huge chunk of Greenland's ice mass breaks off and smashes into New York or Florida sinks into the Atlantic will conservatives concede that GW MIGHT be happening. Just look at the fiasco in Iraq, you can walk to a conservative right now and they'll tell that the media is NOT reporting on all the good things we are doing in Iraq like BUILDING SCHOOLS. Conservatives and republicans are for the most part hopeless, let us continue to win over as many people as possible but for 20-30% of the population, forget it.