Now Reading
Nicholas Adams: Vermont faces climate refugee crises

Nicholas Adams: Vermont faces climate refugee crises

Commentary

This commentary is by Nicholas Adams. He is a South Burlington resident.

Vermont is in a very bad spot with its current housing issues. But the climate crisis will continue to bring untold pain to this already critical issue. 

Already, climate change is being felt across the country. Climate change has many factors that impact regions. These include current climate systems, past and present human influence, topography and height above the sea level. 

Scientists agree that anthropogenic climate changes are here and will get more extreme even if we take immediate action. Because of a long drought, we have seen wildfires that are more severe and intense than ever before. This is despite the fact that the West has seen dry conditions for over 1,200 year. This all happens while the East Coast is subject to more severe storms or hurricanes. 

There is no place on Earth that is immune to any impacts. However, it may seem like some people are feeling the effects more than others. 

Vermont has yet to experience severe droughts that affect our agriculture or cause wildfires in our communities. Many are beginning see the New England region and the Great Lakes Regions in New England as safe havens from the most visible effects of climate change. 

This has driven the conversation for those that have been impacted — like the residents of Paradise, California, in 2021, after a wildfire destroyed most of the town — abvout where to move their families to be safe from future climate change driven catastrophes. Many of those who lived in Paradise lost moved across the nation to New England. There are three families that have moved to Vermont. 

A recent NBC poll asked recent arrivals why they moved to this area. One third of participants stated that their decision was due to climate change. PBS Terra, a member station of PBS, used six experts on climate change to create metrics for climate change safety and then used county data to see what areas were most “safe” to climate change. They found that Lamoille county, Vermont, was the most safest for the most direct impacts of climate change.

These findings suggest that Vermont is a safe place for those who have been driven from their homes by the most visible impacts of climate change. 

This does not mean Vermont will be immune to climate change. Many of the ecosystems that Vermont and its culture have relied upon for hundreds of years are rapidly changing. More severe storms, shorter winters, and even some droughts have already been seen across the state in the past years, partially due to climate change and its effects on the now-erratic jet stream. 

The Vermont story is being spun as a safe haven and could lead to the state becoming more vulnerable as the climate crisis worsens. 

Many Vermonters are aware that the state is experiencing a severe housing shortage. This is similar to the rest of the country. When, and not if, even more refugees from the climate crisis come, the state’s poor housing stock will not be able to support them, as it cannot even support the current small population growth. 

Most economists agree that climate changes will have a significant impact on finances. As Vermont begins to feel the severe economic impacts of climate change, it will be too late for the state to take advantage of the opportunities to reduce climate change impacts and help future climate refugees. It is crucial to act now as any money in future is much more important than any money now. 

The state must support demand-side mitigation such as green zoning, small scale renewables and green infrastructure. It must also plan these houses with climate change impacts and incentivize climate mitigation such as small wetlands for water runningoff. 

A large-scale, single-family zoning system will not be able to balance housing and ecosystem protection. Mixed-use housing may be more effective. 

While the state has many of the policies and incentives in place they will need more resources and funding to be able create affordable housing for current residents and future residents. 

If we act now, this state can provide a safe haven to those who are being driven from their homes. It can also allow us to continue our efforts on climate change adaptation and mitigation.

Did you know VTDigger was a non-profit?

Our journalism is possible because of member donations. If you value the work we do, please consider contributing to keep this valuable resource available to everyone.

Filed under

Commentary

Tags: , , , ,

CommentaryCommentary

About Commentaries

VTDigger.org publishes between 12 and 18 commentaries per week from a wide range of community sources. All commentaries must include the author’s first and last name, town of residence and a brief biography, including affiliations with political parties, lobbying or special interest groups. From February through May, authors are limited to one monthly commentary; the rest of year, there is a limit of two comments per month, space permitting. The minimum length of a commentary is 400 words and the maximum is 850 words. Commenters must cite sources for quotes and writers are asked to back up assertions on a case by case basis. We do not have the resources or time to fact-check commentaries. We reserve the rights to reject opinions for inaccuracy and taste. We do not publish comments that endorse candidates. Commentaries are the voices of the community and do NOT represent VTDigger. Tom Kearney would love to hear your comments. [email protected]