Climate Migration: Should I Stay or Should I Go?

The places that most people call home are coming under increasing threat from climate change. From rising seas and more frequent floods, to stronger hurricanes and cyclones, to more devastating droughts and wildfires, the most habitable parts of our world are becoming far less so. Over time, our cities will be forced to transform — and hundreds of millions will have to move.

People who have the means are already starting to relocate to places that market themselves as climate-proof. But not everyone will be able to leave. And many won’t want to. How do we handle the next great waves of migration?

Abrahm Lustgarten

Author, “On the Move: The Overheating Earth and the Uprooting of America”

Sonia Shah

Author, “The Next Great Migration: The Beauty and Terror of Life on the Move”

Thursday March 28 | 12:00 p.m.

Elizabeth Kolbert began reporting on the increasingly devastating effects of climate change in the early 2000s — before Al Gore’s breakthrough documentary “An Inconvenient Truth.” Kolbert’s reporting became the foundation of her book “Field Notes from a Catastrophe,” which sounded the alarm on the causes and effects of global warming. In the two decades since then, the frequency and intensity of climate-induced disasters has only intensified. And yet, Kolbert’s latest book is titled “H Is for Hope: Climate Change from A to Z.” So where does she see cause for hope? What is the world finally doing right? And what work still needs to be done?

Join Climate One co-host Ariana Brocious for a live-streamed conversation with Pulitzer Prize-winning author and journalist Elizabeth Kolbert as we unpack the state of the world’s climate and ongoing efforts to mitigate future disaster.

April 22 - April 25

Climate One will be celebrating SF Climate Week with a series of programs featuring California and the San Francisco Bay Area’s leading voices in policy, climate justice, and business. The week will showcase interviews with California Attorney General Rob Bonta, State Senators Nancy Skinner and Scott Wiener, California Environmental Justice Association’s Energy Justice Director Mari Rose Taruc, and environmental justice activist Nalleli Cobo, among others, about the challenges and opportunities facing the nation’s innovation capital when it comes to addressing climate change.

Climate One will also be hosting an Action Lounge, where attendees will be able to join local climate and environmental organizations, apply for green jobs, and receive guidance from climate career coaches.

The Environmental Protection Agency has issued the strictest federal climate regulation in the history of passenger automobiles, the final version of regulations first proposed last spring. The agency’s Clean Cars rule sets new, stricter emissions limits for cars, light trucks, and SUVs, and the restrictions are set to gradually tighten further beginning in 2027. The EPA’s regulations also mandate further cuts to tailpipe emissions.

The Biden-Harris administration touts projections from the EPA estimating that Clean Cars will lead to a 50% reduction in passenger vehicle emissions by 2032, and outside experts largely agree with these figures. Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, so further cuts to automotive emissions are crucial to meeting emissions reductions goals.

Consumer advocates are enthusiastic about the new rules, with the consensus being that the regulations will lead to lower prices on electric vehicles — a much needed boost at a time when sales are slowing in much of the country. The major U.S. automotive manufacturers, who recently supported stricter regulations in California, are not expected to challenge the regulations, and the influential United Automobile Workers union gave a statement in support of Clean Cars as well. A challenge from Republican officials is likely, but their legal argument may not withstand scrutiny.

PLUS

The energy conference CERAWeek — hosted each year in Houston and typically attended by Climate One — awarded Sultan Al Jaber its Leadership Award at this year’s convening. Climate One listeners likely recognize Al Jaber from his beleaguered role as President of COP28, the annual United Nations conference on climate change. CERAWeek recognized Al Jaber for his role guiding COP28 toward an agreement seen as the beginning of the end of the fossil fuel era.

The choice by CERAWeek to honor Al Jaber shows that the ramifications of COP28 will continue to be felt for years to come. For those looking to better contextualize the impact of the international agreements made in Dubai, our episode recorded live from the UAE during the conference is a great place to start. You can stream it now on all major podcast platforms.

Source: World Resources Institute/Energy Information Administration

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