The Green Ostrich

I had an article half written about Halloween costumes. It was all about “greening” your kids’ Halloween costumes through creativity, secondhand, and networking. It’s an important topic – Halloween is often a “single use” holiday and I’d like to change that. But my heart just wasn’t in it. Last week I failed to write anything and this week, writing about Halloween costumes just didn’t sit right. My heart is aching for the innocent lives lost – children’s lives lost – in Gaza, in Israel, and outside of Chicago. Kids who will never wear a Halloween costume. 

So instead, I sat in front of a blank Google Doc. 

Then I started writing again. 

The Global North is responsible for 92% of greenhouse gas emissions with the US and the countries making up the EU accounting for 40% and 29% respectively. Those of us living in the Global North are certainly feeling the effects as well. In my backyard alone, September was a HOT month in Boston. This summer saw extreme flooding in Vermont. And unprecedented wildfires in parts of Canada impacted my local air quality. But the reality is that those of us in the Global North who are contributing the most to the climate crisis, are not the most at risk from climate change and the indirect impacts of climate change.  

So who is at risk? According to the International Rescue Committee, the 10 most at risk countries are: 

1. Somalia*+
2. Syria+
3. Democratic Republic of Congo*+
4. Afghanistan+
5. Yemen+
6. Chad*
7. South Sudan*
8. Central African Republic*+
9. Nigeria+
10. Ethiopia

Those countries marketed with an (*) are also on the list of 10 poorest countries by GDP according to the International Monetary Fund. 

Those countries marked with a (+) are on Save the Children’s list of 10 worst conflict affected countries to be a child. 

It’s not a coincidence that there is so much overlap in the three lists. I’m not an expert on this. I highly recommend reading this UN article on Climate and Conflict for a more expert (but still brief and very readable) overview on the topic. But there are some important takeaways I want to highlight. The countries that are on this list are facing food insecurities and resource scarcities (especially water). Combined with degradation and exploitation of the land, there is an increase risk of natural disasters like floods and droughts, an increase in insect borne illnesses, and vulnerable populations become even more vulnerable. In these nations, conflict can exacerbate the impact of climate change and climate change can indirectly exacerbate conflict. The impact of climate change coupled with conflict means that 90% of the world’s refugees are from countries that are facing the greatest threat from the climate emergency and that have the fewest means to adapt. 

The intersection of conflict and climate in the world’s poorest countries is incredibly complex. The impact on children incredibly horrific. I am not claiming to be an expert (very far from it in fact), but I do think it’s an important factor to always have in mind when looking at climate related problems and solutions. It’s crucial that as we think about responses to the climate emergency and our own actions, we remember that we in the Global North are not living in a vacuum. That we realize that the true impact of our actions, our governments’ actions, and corporate actions may not be felt by us and may extend beyond what we traditionally think of as a “climate impact.” And those who bear the brunt of it will likely be the children.

Maybe just some food for thought as you pick out a Halloween costume this year.