Members of the National Guard assist an elderly woman and other survivors of an extreme weather event.
Credit: The National Guard/Flickr

Survivors’ stories bring the climate crisis into focus

The Guardian and its partners share gripping testimonies from people worldwide experiencing the devastating realities of climate breakdown today.

Bibi van der Zee reports for The Guardian.


In short:

  • The Guardian, in partnership with the Climate Disaster Project and the International Red Cross, has compiled testimonies from survivors of extreme weather events to create a “people’s history of climate change.”
  • The Climate Disaster Project employs trauma-informed journalism to ensure survivors’ dignity is respected while amplifying their voices.
  • The project brings to the forefront the immediate and devastating impacts of the climate crisis, urging action to prevent further harm to vulnerable communities.

Key quote:

“The climate crisis is already here, taking lives, destroying homes, wiping out livelihoods. That human suffering must be recognized now to get as much help to climate victims as possible.”

— Damian Carrington, environment editor at The Guardian

Why this matters:

No longer tomorrow's problem, the climate crisis is a full-blown, present-day emergency that’s reshaping lives, wrecking ecosystems and exposing the widening gap between those who can adapt and those left to fend for themselves.

Read more: Nowhere to go in New Bern: Climate catastrophe spurs migrants in US South

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