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<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://cagreening.blogspot.com/2011/11/immigration-is-policy-of-compassion.html">http://cagreening.blogspot.com/2011/11/immigration-is-policy-of-compassion.html</a><br>
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<th align="RIGHT" nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE">Subject: </th>
<td>[California Greening] Immigration: is a policy of
compassion possible?</td>
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<th align="RIGHT" nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE">Date: </th>
<td>Thu, 10 Nov 2011 06:03:13 +0000</td>
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<th align="RIGHT" nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE">From: </th>
<td>Wes <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:wrolley@charter.net"><wrolley@charter.net></a></td>
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<th align="RIGHT" nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE">To: </th>
<td><a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:wrolley@charter.net">wrolley@charter.net</a></td>
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<br>
In my <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://cagreening.blogspot.com/2011/10/thought-experiment-tipping-point.html">previous
post</a> I mentioned Laurence C. Smith's <i> The World in 2050</i>
and promised to connect his ideas to Green Party Policies. I still
was not sure where this was going to take me and therefore, overly
ambitious about the time frame. It will take a lot more than the two
weeks I mentioned. <br>
<br>
In the meantime, I did get an OpEd for my local paper out of it. It
will be run on Friday Nov. 7 in the Morgan Hill Times, but you can
read a copy at <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://polizeros.com/2011/11/09/the-world-in-2050-is-what-we-make-today/">Polizeros</a>.<br>
<br>
There are two forces that will drive the movement of people in
coming decade. One is obviously the mounting pressures from
population growth. If one has to leave their homelands, then why not
to a wealthier America? or a more welcoming Canada? The other is
climate disruption where drought causes famine, where sea level rise
floods coastal cities and delta farmlands and some places just
become unbearable.<br>
<br>
Estimates of the number of climate refugees vary widely. We know how
many people live in affected areas... but it only a guess as to how
many will chose to leave when not yet forced to do so. Some estimate
it to be as high as 50 million. <br>
<br>
Even if we don't agree to such a high number, still we have to admit
that there will be some. Pacific Islands will be under water.
Increased desertification already affects <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/interactive/2011/nov/01/somalia-drought-camps-map-interactive">Africa</a>,
the <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2011/10/27/355639/noaa-climate-change-mediterranean-droughts/">Mediterranean</a>,
even <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v478/n7370/full/478450a.html">Texas</a>
(sub's req'd). How many will be displaced by this? I don't know but
the refugee camps in Kenya are already over full.<br>
<br>
Along with this climate disruption, we will will have political
disruption as well. There has always been a resentment against new
immigrants in the US, even though this country is the product of a
succession of immigrations. Now state after state, most recently
Alabama, have passed laws claiming to protect the US from "illegal"
immigration, but in reality with a strong racist motivation. <br>
<br>
Then, as I was thinking on this issue, two news items game me the
impetus to start writing. One is the release of a report by the
International Energy Agency (IEA) that gives a very sobering
assessment of climate risk. According to the UK's <a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/nov/09/fossil-fuel-infrastructure-climate-change?CMP=EMCENVEML1631">Guardian</a>:
<blockquote>"The door is closing," Fatih Birol, chief economist at
the International Energy Agency, said. "I am very worried – if we
don't change direction now on how we use energy, we will end up
beyond what scientists tell us is the minimum [for safety]. The
door will be closed forever."</blockquote>
That prettymuch tells us that we need changes in energy policy now.
But we also need to understand how it will affect immigration here.
<br>
<br>
Before this week, I might has painted a bleak picture, one of the US
demonstrating a fortress mentality closing all its borders with
Herman Cain electric fences or moats filled with alligators. Then, a
stunning thing happened. Arizona voters successfully recalled State
Senator RusselPearce, President of the Senate and the author of
Arizona's infamous immigration law, a law strongly opposed by
Arizona's Green Party. Arizonans have had enough of militancy and
racism. The election turned on the fact that Arizonans wanted their
legislators to have a bit of compassion. <br>
<br>
I expect that there will be more political dislocations. If the US
accepts climate refugees, they will compete for existing jobs. The
Democratic Party has always tried to make immigrant communities as
part of their political base. But they also have leaned heavily on
labor union support that will act to protect their jobs for existing
membership. This will not sort out quickly.<br>
<br>
What does this mean for Greens? Neither of our presidential
candidates, Kent Mesplay and Jill Stein, seem to have paid much
attention to this issue. If they were to do so, if they were to
focus on building a national policy based on compassion, I am sure
that they will find acceptance in the electorate. <br>
<br>
Additional Information: <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.gp.org/committees/platform/2010/social-justice.php#1002510">Green
Party Platform on Immigration / Migration</a>. <br>
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--<br>
Posted By Wes to <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://cagreening.blogspot.com/2011/11/immigration-is-policy-of-compassion.html">California
Greening</a> at 11/09/2011 10:03:00 PM
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