Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Date of Degree

2-2019

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.A.

Program

Liberal Studies

Advisor

Karen R. Miller

Subject Categories

Arts and Humanities | Education | Law | Social and Behavioral Sciences

Keywords

INTERNAL DISPLACEMENT IN THE UNITED STATES, Indian Removal Act of 1814-1858, Climate Change and U.S. Policy, INTERNALLY DISPLACED PEOPLE OF ISLES DE JEAN CHARLES, THE UNITED NATIONS GUIDING PRINCIPLES ON INTERNAL DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

Abstract

Internal Displacement in the United States: A Result of Climate Change and U.S. Policy by

Ahmad Tidjany Diop

Advisor: Karen Miller

This thesis will focus on arguments for an open border. I demonstrate that open borders are necessary because land is scarce. I focus on the United States, which is currently dealing with internal displacement due to climate change. The moral, human rights, and political claims I will make open borders are reasonable because climate change will make certain parts of the world uninhabitable.

When I say internal displacement I am referring to those displaced in the United States due to climate change as we have seen with Hurricane Katrina in which residents of New Orleans were displaced from their homes and relocated to Houston and other states due to the breaking of the levies. The climate is continuously changing for the worse, although perceptions of this shift depend on how one views climate change.

Climate change is accelerating, as we can see from recent wildfires in California and the melting of icebergs in Antarctica. The earth is warming and sea levels are rising. This thesis examines the deleterious effects that these shifts are having on human populations. As things currently stand there is a large buildup of heat in the oceans which suggest that there is a faster rate of global warming according to recent scientific studies. I argue that it is the responsibility of all nations to address this crisis and to welcome climate refugees.

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