The Climate Exodus

The Intersection between Social Justice and the Climate Crisis

After attending the event on the intersection between social justice and the climate crisis hosted by CG 7, I was fortunate enough to learn how the climate crisis relates to social justice in human life. We watched The Climate Exodus during the event. I was shocked to know that many residents living in developing countries are more vulnerable to climate crises than people living in developed countries. For example, people who live along the coast in Indonesia are constantly under the threat of flooding. As a result, many residents were forced to move out of the city, and they might end up living in an inhospitable environment that could be surrounded by flooding water, trash, and mud. Another example is Lake Chad in Africa, where thousands of African herders depend on the lake for water resources to feed their animals. However, the lake has dramatically shrunk in size since the late 90s, and now only a small portion of it exists in the original area. If the lake finally dries out, local residents have to migrate to another place for water, and traveling can be time-consuming and risky. These two examples of environmental crises affecting residents’ lives reflect social injustice. If developed countries do not take the lead to help fight climate change and mitigate environmental degradation, the most vulnerable victims are likely to be countries that lack the resources and technology to recover from extreme environmental change.

One of the most important ways to motivate people to take action for climate change is to make them feel connected to the issue. If activists can make campaigns or utilize storytelling articles to raise people’s awareness of climate change, it is likely that more people will be willing to change their lifestyle or at least participate in community events to show their efforts of fighting climate change. Personally, podcasts are also an excellent option for people to get informed about climate change and how it relates to social justice. The stories of these environmental refugees can help the public feel sympathetic with people who are significantly under the impact of climate change and push them to take real action to help people in need.

• Living Downstream is a popular podcast series that centers on the topic of environmental justice and social issues. Here is the link to its website.

Horace Mo

B.A. | College of Literature, Science, and the Arts

University of Michigan Class of 2023