How one woman and her family made the difficult decision to move.
We are in the midst of one of the greatest moments of human migration in recent history. Wars and unrest in the Middle East, political tensions in Latin America, and ethnic clashes in places like Myanmar have caused millions of people to flee their homes looking for safety and security for themselves and their families. But there’s also another set of migrants: those who are fleeing because they’ve determined their homes are no longer safe from the massive forces of climate change.
Today’s story involves someone who never expected to see herself as a climate migrant. In fact, as director of a climate-solution organization, Jamie Beck Alexander would often spend countless hours trying to help others in far-off places deal with the effects of climate change. But then a few years back, she realized her own living situation in California was no longer going to work.
About Heat of the Moment: The climate change crisis can feel so formidable, so daunting, that instead of mobilizing people to action, it engenders paralysis. What could we mortals possibly do to prevent the calamity? A fair bit, it turns out. On Heat of the Moment, a 10-part podcast by FP Studios, in partnership with the Climate Investment Funds, we focus on ordinary people across the globe who have found ways to fight back. Hosted by CNN contributor John D. Sutter, Heat of the Moment tells the stories of the people on the front lines of the fight against climate change. See All Episodes
More Heat of the Moment episodes:
Building a Life-Giving Economy
A conversation with climate writer and podcaster Katherine Wilkinson.
Why Saving Forests Involves Rethinking Jobs
And how to bolster better paying jobs in the global south while confronting the climate crisis.
Seeking Justice in Cancer Alley
Heat of the Moment heads south to the U.S. Gulf Coast, an area with a long history of fossil fuel extraction and the health problems that come with it.