Climate change is pushing Central American migrants to the US | Lauren Markham

The northern triangle of Central America, the largest source of asylum seekers crossing the US border, is deeply affected by environmental degradationMedia outlets and politicians routinely refer to the "flood" of Central American migrants, the "wave" of asylum seekers, the "deluge" of children, despite the fact that unauthorized migration across the US borders is at record lows in recent years. Comparing human beings to natural disasters is both lazy and dehumanizing, but perhaps this tendency to lean on environmental language when describing migration is an unconscious acknowledgement of a deeper truth: much migration from Central America and, for that matter, around the world, is fueled by climate change. Related: The natural world can help save us from climate catastrophe | George Monbiot Continue reading...