Nomad Century summary

It takes some nerve to suggest our problems will be solved by more migration at a time when rich nations are trying to prevent migrants from crossing their borders. Even more daring is the idea that migration should be anticipated, facilitated, and executed on a global scale.

But migration is exactly how humanity got here. The only difference with past migration is that governments all over the world will have to collaborate on a scale never seen before.

Tomato farming became mechanized just two years after Mexican farm workers were kicked out of California in 1964. But expelling these workers led to a decline in the growth of crops where it was harder to mechanize the process – asparagus, lettuce, and strawberries, for instance. Farm owners, immigrant laborers, and the local economy ended up losing in this venture.

When migrants are allowed to work, spend what they earn, and pay taxes, they improve the economy of their host country. A study by Giovanni Peri from the University of California found that immigration between 1990 and 2007 boosted the average US wage by $5,100.

So you’ve seen how migration can boost the economy of host nations. And you’ve probably heard about the “brain drain” from poor countries. How then does migration benefit countries whose citizens leave to find work?

Less than 5 percent of the world’s population as a whole are international migrants. And less than 3 percent of Africans live abroad. When people move, it’s primarily to better themselves and their families back home.

We’ve now covered compelling evidence that migration can boost economies. So now that it’s become urgent, how can we plan this migration to help us survive extreme climate change?

 First, the International Organization for Migration should be empowered on behalf of the UN nations to manage migration on a global scale. It should lay the ground rules and hold nations accountable for their commitments.

Migration won’t solve all our problems, but it gives us a chance to restore our planet by reducing greenhouse gas emissions while adopting new science-backed solutions.

The vast deserts and habitats left behind by people in the global south fleeing climate change could be used to tap and transport solar energy to the north on a scale never seen before.

In this Blink to Nomad Century by Gaia Vince, you’ve learned that planned migration, rather than being something we should fear, is a valuable tool in adapting to the climate crisis. To implement this, we'll need global collaboration on a scale we’ve not seen before.

At current levels of greenhouse emissions, it’s almost impossible to reverse the effects of the extreme weather we’re currently experiencing. We’re going to have to escape heat, fire, flood, and drought. This should be achieved through planned migration to safer areas.