Will Climate Change Force Humans to Relocate?

Around the world, climate change will force people to migrate to more livable locales. But no one knows exactly how many will be displaced.

By Cody Cottier
Oct 25, 2021 3:00 PMOct 25, 2021 4:17 PM
climate change
(Credit: daguimagery/Shutterstock)

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Humans are, for better or worse, versatile. We’ve colonized a remarkable diversity of habitat, establishing ourselves in the poles, the tropics and nearly everywhere in between. Still, there are environments and conditions we just can’t adapt to (at least at scale), and their share of the planet’s surface is growing thanks to the onslaught of climate change.

The result, scientists warn, will be expanding patches of uninhabitability. Barring some drastic changes, warming in the near future will evict many from the places they call home.

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