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March 17, 2010 ESSENCE 5

Renaissance

of a Fir

MICHAEL PICKERING

One of the greatest challenges that will face

humanity in the coming century is deal-

ing with the rapidly growing number of

migrants displaced by environmental deg-

radation, development projects, resource

exploitation, natural disasters, and climate

change. Tese people are now commonly

referred to as ecological migrants, environ-

mental refugees, and climate refugees.

Te most widely accepted estimates pub-

lished by the Oxford Centre for Refugee

Studies claim that there will be 50 million

people globally displaced due to ecological

factors by the end of 2010, and 200 mil-

lion by 2050. o contextualize, in 2005 the

UN reported that there were 190 million

migrants in total worldwide.

Tis means that we could see the dou-

bling of mobile human populations within

the coming decades. Tis does not even

take into account the simultaneous in-

crease in migration for all other purposes(eg. economic, political). Such a dramatic

increase in the number of migrants will

have far reaching social and ecological im-

plications.

Te current international policy frame-

work that deals with refugees and natural

disaster response is insuffi cient for meeting

the demands of this influx of people. Large

population movements have historically

led to conflict over access to land and re-

sources.

For example, the crisis in the Darfur re-

gion of Sudan appeared on the surface to

be a classic case of genocide provoked by

ethnic rivalries. While this has some truth

to it, the effi cient cause of the conflict was

primarily environmental: prolonged fam-

ine. In order to avoid tragedies of this sort

in the future, ecological migration needs to

be addressed as a potential threat to human

security at all levels of governance.

Tere are numerous islands and coastal

communities throughout the world which

have already begun to experience the dev-

astating impacts of rising sea levels. Severe

floods in low-lying coastal regions, such as

the river deltas of Bangladesh and Vietnam,

are now frequent during each monsoonal

storm surge.

Island nations in the Pacific such as u-

valu and Kiribati, as well as the Maldives

in the Indian Ocean, will be rendered un-

inhabitable by the end of this century dueto erosion and saline intrusion. Proverbial

canaries in the coal mine, these islands send

a stark message to the rest of the world that

the consequences of climate change are very

real.

Tis will be the first time in modern his-

tory that entire nation-states have disap-

peared in the wake of an ecological disaster.

In response, nations and international insti-

tutions will be forced to rethink migration

policies to allow for the influx of refugees

from these regions. Whether or not politi-

cians continue to deny the anthropogenic

nature of climate change, the world will be

forced to deal with the impending wave of

climate refugees.

he communities most vulnerable to

ecological migration are predominantly

the poorest as well. As such, ecological mi-

gration is also a matter of social justice. It

is necessary to develop the resilience and

adaptive capacity of vulnerable communi-

ties to prevent the displacement of ecologi-

cal migrants.

If we begin to address this phenomenon

now, then in the future we may be able toturn this potential crisis into an opportu-

nity to bring people together in a more

cohesive way.

2050: Seeking Refuge From the Rising Tide

PHOTO BY NICOLE FONG

MICHAEL PICKERING

Over the past few years I have been

drawn into researching the contempo-

rary and historic relationship between

noma ds a nd t he

state.

he discourse is

primarily pessimistic

when it comes to the

survival of nomadic

peoples in the face

of myriad modernist

development initia-

tives across the globe.

I can certainly un-

derstand this senti-

ment as I study report after report about

ibetan and Mongolian pastoralists of

Western China being forced by state

development policies to give up their

backward and unscientific ways and

relocate into towns.

However, as modern cities become less

feasible due to their inherent unsustain-

ability, nomadic ways of life may come to

be valued as the most sustainable lifestyle

available in some regions of the world.

Overcoming the pathological sci-

entism of the modern state and its

sterile, linear aesthetic is central to

truly sustainable de-

velopment. he tra-

dit ional ecological

knowledge of nomad-

ic peoples around the

world is an extensive

trove of many genera-

tions of empirically

derived observations

about particular en-

vironments.

he su s t a in a b l e

development of areas traditionally in-

habited by nomads is vitally dependent

upon strengthening the resilience and

adaptive capacity of these communities.

Cultural sustainability is as important

to the future of the planet as ecological

sustainability.

Beyond Neoliberalizing Nomads

Nomadic ways oflife may come tobe valued as the

most sustainable

lifestyle.

THIMBLEBERRY IS A NATIVE AND EDIBLE SPECIES PHOTO BY MILA CZEMERYS

PHOTO BY JULIA BENNETT

BY ADAM PODOLEC

Te future is now

And it depends how

You go about your day

What you do and say

Tat creates the way

owards the next step

So be a good rep

Fill your thoughts with pep

Join the public chorus

Since society is porous

Able to absorb change

Across a wide range

Pick your stance

Jump on the chance

o make your mark

On historys living arc.

The Futureis Now

EMILY ANDERSON

My name is ivy

And this you know

Engulfing your trunk

As you watch me grow

Tey call a weed

A plant in the wrong place

Tey fabricate classifications

While I homogenize space

My other name is Hedera

I snake through the woodland

Serpent-like growth

With restraint abandoned

I slither relentlessly

o your canopy crown

I mimic a sail

And I cast you down

o rest on the Earth

With roots relinquished

Soon no longer able

o take a carbon-breath

I smother your surface

And blanket your seeds

In attempts to halt

Your reproductive needs

But my blanket has failed

At arboricideWhen a seedling emerges

With thunderous pride