Image (L): Sandra Freij photographs Model Mafia members in London
“I was born in Somalia, and I came to America as a refugee escaping from war and turmoil. I understand how climate change is causing and will continue to cause more turmoil. We’re already in crisis mode: according to UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, the number of displaced people is now at its highest ever, even more than after World War II. And in the next 20 to 30 years, there’s no question that tens of millions of people will be displaced by drought and other effects from climate change. The term ‘climate refugee’ isn’t officially accepted yet, but soon it will be unavoidable,” says Hawa Hassan.
“Somalia, my birthplace, is currently experiencing yet another drought, the second in only six years. We’ve had so much war and so much famine – for all that we hear about extremist threats, the cruel reality is that people are now being devastated by man-made, weather-related calamities. Yes, it’s very personal to me. “
In Hamburg
Eco-Age contributor Jil Carrara and her grandmother joined 50,000 protesters on the streets. “Fires, heatwaves, droughts, floods, mass extinctions and more natural disaster are what our future looks like because of climate change,” she says. “This is why today I joined 30,000 protesters in Hamburg, Germany and millions worldwide to demand immediate action from governments worldwide ahead of the UN Climate Action Summit.”