Climate Disasters Quadruple

Climate disasters quadrupling may be an attention-grabbing headline (did it get your attention?); but as usual, headlines are overly-simplified. To be more specific the number of climate disasters that made people move has grown from about 200 in 2008 to over 1500 in 2018, a roughly seven-fold increase in a decade. A headline like “Climate Disasters Sextuple” or “Climate Disasters Septuple” might confuse some. Quadrupling is bad enough. According to World Economic Forum quoting Oxfam, the consequence is;

“Every two seconds, a weather-related disaster forces someone on the planet from their home, Oxfam says.”

That’s 20 million people a year. Think in terms of emptying a major city, every year. And the slope is increasing. That’s from short term weather-related disasters. Long term disasters like rising sea levels, thawing permafrost, and desertification add to the list. The warnings about climate refugees have become a reality that is increasingly significant.

“Climate Change Is Forcing 20 Million People A Year From Their Homes, Oxfam Says” – World Economic Forum