As the world contends with over a year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the stability of environmental systems on health, well-being and quality of life have been brought to global attention. The pandemic has shown that public health hinges on the effectiveness of numerous medical, biological and ecological systems. These systems will change further as our planet continues to warm in response to environmental degradation and increasing carbon dioxide levels.
Over the past year, devastating hurricanes, wildfires and other extreme weather events have destroyed homes and displaced people around the world. The International Organization of Migration estimates that by 2050, there will be between 25 million and 1 billion environmental migrants, or climate refugees, globally, with 200 million the most frequent estimate. This issue is further compounded by international refugee law, which does not currently protect climate migrants. In 2018, a task force on displacement gave recommendations for such measures at U.N. climate talks in Katowice, Poland, but these recommendations have yet to be pursued.
The coronavirus pandemic has affected our environment, producing positive outcomes as well as changes that present further challenges to the preservation of our natural world. Limited travel and the slowing of economic activity have led to a reduction of air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions on a global scale.
