Global Warming May Not Be The Primary Driver, But It's Increasingly Cited By New Arrivals In Vermont [View all]

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Americans fleeing coastal storms, relentless heat and western wildfires are finding refuge in the Green Mountain State. As large areas of the nation become inhospitable or even uninhabitable, Vermont's cool climate, abundant water supplies and tradition of environmental stewardship are proving increasingly attractive to people with the desire — and the means — to relocate. A 2017 study by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ranked Vermont as the fourth most resilient state for climate change, after Alaska, Maine and Hawaii.

The climate crisis will bring warmer, shorter winters; more intense flooding; and invasive species to Vermont, experts say. Yet study after study pegs Vermont as well positioned to weather the ravages of a rapidly warming planet. A 2020 county-by-county analysis of the United States by ProPublica ranked six of the top seven counties for climate resiliency in Vermont. The scores were based on six anticipated impacts: heat, heat and humidity, crop yields, sea level rise, wildfires, and economic damage. Lamoille County earned the highest resiliency score in the country, while each of Vermont's 14 counties ranked in the top 100 out of more than 3,000.

Predicting climate migration and documenting it, however, are very different undertakings. People tend to move for a combination of reasons: to take a new job, pursue a healthier lifestyle and care for aging family members, for example. No single data set shows why people move from one place to another. Spikes in real estate sales and change-of-address requests can hint at shifts.

But Cheryl Morse, a social geographer at the University of Vermont, has been struck by how significant a role the changing climate has played in the decision making of the state's newest arrivals. Last year, Morse interviewed nearly 30 recent transplants to better understand their motives for relocating. She expected many would cite, among other things, the COVID-19 pandemic, and many did. "But I was surprised at how many people were talking about climate as a driving factor for their move to Vermont," she said. "I always thought it would be something off in the future, but it's now." Morse said she's not aware of any data measuring the scale of climate migration to Vermont but said her research, which she plans to publish this year, convinced her it is a reality.

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https://www.sevendaysvt.com/vermont/fave-little-state-climate-migrants-from-around-america-are-seeking-refuge-in-vermont/Content?oid=34654969