The current refugee problem may involve millions of people but the number may reach up to hundreds of millions more and in catastrophic proportions if climate change is not addressed soon, according to Elon Musk.
Musk, co-founder of Tesla Motors, an electric car making company, was in Berlin to attend a business seminar that was organized by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. In his opening remarks, he talked about what the future would be like as far as the refugee crisis is concerned and even stressed the role of climate change in finding a solution to the problem.
"Today's refugee problem is perhaps a small indication of what the future will be like if we do not take action with respect to climate change," said Musk. "Today, the challenge is in terms of millions of people, but in the future, based on what the scientific consensus is, the problem will be in the hundreds of millions and much more severe."
In the U.S., the issue on climate change remains as a debatable topic. Some lobby groups are still skeptical on how scientific evidence highlights the role of humans in warming the planet. However, things are a bit different in Germany which had shown wide acceptance to facts pertaining to climate. Even Musk himself had referred to Germany as "the best in the world when it comes to solar power."
Germany launched the aggressive "Energiewende" program dedicated to the country's transition to renewable energy. Still, the country has a long way to go as it remains dependent on gasoline and diesel in fueling up its vehicles.
Musk also discussed how the recent scandal involving Volkswagen seemed to highlight the issue on climate change. While it is true that cheating diesel emissions is bad, Musk added that the world should place huge concern on the implications brought by carbon dioxide emissions.
"There are a lot of things that are happening in the world today that are important, and that deserve our attention, but I think it is also important to ask 'What is the most important in the long-term? What are the actions that if we don't take them today they will result in a terrible future?," said Musk.
