In Brazil, the Climate Crisis Is Already Turning Working People into Climate Refugees (w/ Michael Fox)

Working People

“Southern Brazil is facing its worst climate tragedy ever," Latin-America-based journalist Mike Fox wrote from Brazil for the North American Congress on Latin America (NACLA) in early May. "Unprecedented floods have impacted 1.4 million people and forced more than 160,000 people from their homes... The images are shocking. Downtown Porto Alegre, the capital of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, is underwater... On May 2, a dam collapsed, unleashing an over 6-foot-high wave and worsening flooding in the area... Although the tragedy is a natural disaster, experts have pointed out that the lack of preparedness on the part of state and local officials may have contributed to the devastation. According to one report, Porto Alegre slashed funds for flooding prevention over the last three years and didn’t spend a cent on it in 2023.” In this episode, we talk with Mike about his reporting trip to Southern Brazil, the devastation he witnessed firsthand, and the conversations he had with poor and working-class people who have borne the worst impacts of the floods and who continue to bear the greatest costs of man-made climate chaos.

Additional links/info below…

• Michael Fox, The Real News Network/NACLA, Under the Shadow (podcast series)

• Michael Fox Patreon page

• Michael Fox, NACLA, "“They’re making it up as they go”: Inside the response to Brazil’s deadly floods"

• Michael Fox, Al Jazeera, "‘The future is dark’: Brazilian businesses shattered by floods"

• Michael Fox, Truthout, "Climate refugees are occupying abandoned buildings in Southern Brazil"

• Bianca Graulau, The Real News Network, "The Puerto Ricans illegally occupying land to resist displacement"

• Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "‘CSX has got to go!’ Industrially polluted South Baltimore residents want rail giant out of their community"

• Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "South Baltimore residents on the toxic reality of living in a ‘sacrifice zone’"

Permanent links below...

• Working People Patreon page

• Leave us a voicemail and we might play it on the show!

• Labor Radio / Podcast Network website, Facebook page, and Twitter page

• In These Times website, Facebook page, and Twitter page

• The Real News Network website, YouTube channel, podcast feeds, Facebook page, and Twitter page

Featured Music...

• Jules Taylor, "Working People" Theme Song