Editorial - 'Climate refugees': is it time to legally acknowledge those displaced by climate disruption?

• Published in: Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health
• Main Authors: Merone, Lea, Tait, Peter
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley Open Access
• Subjects: Arctic; Antarctic; Antarc*; Sea ice
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1885/203433; https://doi.org/10.1111/1753-6405.12849; https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/bitstream/1885/203433/5/01_Merone_%2527Climate_refugees%2527%253A_is_it_time_2018.pdf.jpg

Climate disruption and its consequences are an emerging public health crisis.1 While much emphasis is placed on adaptation and mitigation, there is no long-term plan to support those who face environmental displacement. Continued increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions will result in perpetual rise in global mean temperatures. Global precipitation will increase with significant geographical variation; some locations experiencing much more precipitation and others experiencing far less. Increased global temperatures are likely to bring with them continued thinning of the Arctic and Antarctic sea ice. Global ocean temperatures increase in all predictive models; deep ocean warming is associated with sea-level rise. It is strongly anticipated that there will be increased frequency and severity of hurricanes and cyclones.2