Greenleft Weekly, 28th June 2018
The climate crisis is the greatest crisis the Earth faces. It threatens the entire ecosystem that all life depends upon.
The refugee crisis is arguably the greatest challenge humanity faces. It affects hundreds of millions of people and is the dominant force shaping politics across the Earth.
Strong arguments can be made for both these statements.
The interlinking nature of the two crises, both practically and politically, is the key to finding real solutions and raises the question: why do the movements seem so separate?
The United Nations report Forced displacement in 2017 shows that the number of people displaced last year rose by several million to reach a new record high of 68.5 million. In other words, every single day more than 40,000 people are forced to flee their homes and join millions seeking safety from “persecution, conflict or generalized violence”.