MARIA RENéE JOHNSON

This piece is one in a series about climate change. // The cost of climate change is disproportionate. Some regions will experience drought, others will host storms growing with intensity, some will see more subtle effects. Similarly, people with the privilege of education, the ability to move and adapt, and the luck of geography will be less impacted. Those living in poverty with less access to resources are already feeling the effects of this earthly shift. Women, in particular, are the most at risk. They are often the farmers who experience declining crop yields in changing weather patterns, are less likely to have been taught to swim or be able to survive in the aftermath of natural disasters, and are the first ones to sacrifice food and water when supplies are scarce. We only have a glimpse of what this new world will look like, but science reveals deepening differences between people and spaces; we must consider others before we feel it ourselves.