[...] Some experts estimate that climate change could force between 150 and 300 million people to find a new place to live by the middle of this century, though there is considerable uncertainty about the amount. Finding suitable locations to house them will be a significant impediment. As Michael Gerrard explained, "part of the problem is scale. If we're talking about millions of people having to be on the move, it just doesn't work."
In the U.S., there are very few habitable places that aren't already occupied by homes, businesses, or agriculture, or preserved as park lands or forests. Meanwhile, rural areas would provide few opportunities for migrants to find employment and rebuild their lives.
Instead, Gerrard suggested moving people from high-risk areas to cities whose populations are shrinking, such as Detroit, Michigan. He sees cities' potential for vertical development, energy-efficient buildings, and public transportation as a way to sustainably host climate migrants.
What if refugees from Caribbean islands don't want to live in Detroit?
(Score: 2) by VLM on Saturday January 06 2018, @04:10PM (1 child)
Try to fertilize, plant, harvest 2000 acres of wheat with natgas provided fertilizer and diesel tractors, then try again on the same 2000 acres with a solar panel, geothermal, and river water.
In the long run in a rich white country, maybe. In the short run in Africa where they can't even feed themselves today WITH petrochemical easy mode toggled on, yeah that ain't happening.
The biggest problem in Africa is historically not enough water and not enough food rarely directly kills people on long term average, the death toll is mostly indirect where lack of resources leads to total war leads to disease epidemics, etc.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Saturday January 06 2018, @04:36PM
Natural gas isn't oil either.
Or we can convert coal to synthetic fuel with those power sources.