Climate Refugees Headed to the United States

Yes, that is right. The reported caravan of Honduran refugees making their way through Central America are in part climate refugees fleeing the destruction from hurricanes Eta and Iota, which slammed into the country in November. Additionally, Honduras also suffers from incredibly high rates of violent crime and the pandemic has crippled the economy.

When we talk about climate refugees, we normally think about Pacific Islanders who are seeing their islands disappear into the ocean or land being gobbled up by storms and sea rise in places like Bangladesh. However, even here in the United States we will see climate refugees in the future, just like the 1930's Dust Bowl Days and there was an exodus from the plain states with people migrating to California. See The Grapes of Wrath.

For more on the Honduran caravan, see "Migrant Caravan: Thousands Move Into Guatemala, Hoping To Reach U.S." 

The climate crisis is not something coming in the future — it is here today!