How Climate Change Impacts Populations In Different Ways. Karen McClelland welcomes Northern Arizona University professor, Frankie Riemer, to discuss the climate crisis and how it relates to many of the other issues we face.
Riemer says, “I think that what’s at root in all of these issues is this notion of intersectionality. When we talk about all of these issues, whether we’re talking about abortion or climate change or inflation, we tend to think that it affects all of us the same way. But the reality is that it affects us differently. And things affect us depending on whether we’re old or young, whether we’re men or women, whether we’re able or ably challenged, whether we’re black, whether we’re white, whether we’re poor, whether we’re wealthy…and so, when we talk about climate change, we have to think about who does climate change affect.”
Using the typhoon threatening Myanmar as an example, she explains, “You think about what happens when you have to get out of the house. First of all, you have to have transportation, but in many places poor people do not have transportation. They’re lucky if they have bicycles…for women, they have to take their children. They have to make sure that their elderly parents also get out. Women are generally the caregivers, and so that means they’re not only looking out for themselves, but they’re looking out for everybody. Right? In addition, the poorer you are, the more difficult it is to get out.”