Migration And Environmental Migration

While it is common to hear about ‘migrants and refugees’, it is important to recognise that the two terms refer to very different groups of people. While both groups have effectively moved from one country to another, the circumstances leading up to that move are markedly different for each group.

The Main point of view in this article is how disasters like flooding and drought which are attributed to the changing climate are affecting some parts of the country. Weather forecasters issued flash flooding for the Deep South’s coastal areas while California is struggling with drought that has created trouble for the economy.

Immigration (Merriam-Webster), “The movement of non-native people into a country in order to settle there”. Or in other words, when a group of individuals make a permanent move from their home country to another is an issue facing society today. Throughout history, immigration has always been a prevailing concern for societies amongst most nations. Due to this, many have given their own input and interpretation in regards to this matter. Two individuals such as Dr. Richard Rodriguez and Professor of Earth and Environmental sciences, Dr. Mark Pires have both given similar compelling arguments about immigration. Given though specifically their texts address different

The most common reason for this sudden migration involves increasing violence in the home countries of the immigrants. Civil unrest in Syria has continued with

Thirteen million refugees and about 100 million immigrants have moved across borders within the last several decades (Potocky-Tripodi 2002). Global changes that have currently occured account for an unprecedented movement of individuals across the world in search of better opportunities and conditions.

From the micro-level to the macro-level globalization has transformed the world into a smaller place with constant interactions occurring at every moment between nations, institutions, groups, and individuals. And with this prevalent interconnectivity, migration between the Global North and the Global South has been a controversial consequence of this global integration (Hinojosa, 2015). For this reason one cannot ignore the importance and impact of migrant populations in the country they settle in, and in the countries of origin.

In the south many factors influencing lead around 6 million people to migrate out of southern states in search for industrialized work in northern and western states of the United States. After emancipation, most blacks had been forced to become sharecroppers and tenant farmers, dependent on white land lords and enslaved by debts they complained (Ron Takaki Chapter 13). Although African Americans had their freedom the oppression, discrimination, and racism never ended within the south.

“Migration is tied to the human spirit, which seeks adventure, pursues dreams, and finds reasons to hope even in the most adverse circumstances” (The Ethics). These movements have several reasons why people leave their country and migrate to another country. One of the most common reason is economic; immigrants seek for a better life due to the lack of opportunities in their own countries. The poor living conditions and economic crisis of their countries push them to search other places. Another reason is the natural disasters such as drought, floods, earthquake, plagues and so on. Moreover, some people migrate due to religion and political oppression, slavery, invasions, wars and corrupt governments. Those migration movements have negative

From Germany to Texas, with almost a two-century stay in Ferdinand, this preservation story proves the pride in the past still perseveres today. Years ago a young German crossed the Atlantic Ocean in hopes of improving his life and the life of his future family. A founding member of the Saint Ferdinand Parish (1 Wagner 1), this pivotal man had a permanent influence on the growing town. His home acts as lasting evidence of endurance, representing the strength of Ferdinand’s forefathers’ dedication to creating a thriving community. Serving as a tangible reminder of over 177 years of preserved family history in southern Indiana, the Wagner home’s phenomenal journey includes the construction, deconstruction, and reconstruction.

In the years ahead, climate change will have a significant impact on every aspect of the daily lives of all human beings -- possibly greater even than war. Shifting precipitation patterns and ocean currents could change where and how food crops grow. If icecaps melt and low-lying areas are flooded, as is predicted, entire populations could be forced to move to higher ground. The tsunami of 2004 and Hurricane Katrina, in 2005, provided vivid examples of what large-scale climactic catastrophes entail.

In recent times, migration has been a major point of discussion at different international fora. According to the United Nations (UN), more than 175 million people, about three percent of world’s population, live and work permanently outside their countries of birth (UN, 2002).

Nowadays migration is getting to be one of the dominant characteristics of the modern world since at the present moment that movement of people and migration of citizens from one country to another become a norm. Not surprisingly that such unparallel and extremely high level of migration results in substantial demographic, ethnical and socio-cultural changes in many countries of the world.

According to scientific research, the average temperature of the earth has risen by between ten and twenty degrees Celsius (M.L. Weitzman, 2008). These high temperatures could well be described as a ‘recipe for disaster’, and could produce results that would be catastrophic on a global scale. What is more alarming however, is that there is already a lot of evidence of predicted results of climate change, for instance, in Australia especially, severe draughts have been common in farming areas in the last few decades, there has been an increase of intense and extreme weather events, for example floods, flash floods, tsunamis, earthquakes and tornados, almost all of the natural disasters listed have occurred for ‘unknown’ reasons in the past few years. Rises in sea water level and temperature due to higher acid levels caused by global warming, threaten the existence of species and in some areas, entire eco-systems resulting in the loss of natural biodiversity. ‘Climate change is pushing the world to the verge of environmental and economic collapse, whether global deniers want to believe it or not’ (N. Klein, 2011).

The smell of cardboard boxes and sticky fingers from tape were two of the things I dreaded most throughout my childhood. And although I despised it all, it consistently made its way throughout my household every five years. Each feeling like the world was crashing down around me, making these moves one of the biggest obstacles I have ever faced.

Fun fact:There is also different types of migration. “Economic migration” is when people are migrating to a country that has a higher percent rate of getting a job. “Social migration” is when you are migrating to start a new life or to live closer to your family. “Political migration” is when people are moving to escape corrupted government or civil war. “Environmental migration” is when natural disasters destroy homes and people try to start a new life in a new country.