A Climate of Fear

E.U. report warns of increased security threats due to climate change

Posted at 8:38 AM on 10 Mar 2008

A new report from the European Union's two top foreign-policy officials warns of a wide range of security threats that will be caused or exacerbated by climate change. The report echoes the concerns of earlier U.S. and U.K. reports, warning of "significant potential conflicts" over energy resources, climate-related mass migration, economic instability, and more. A growing rich-poor and north-south divide is forecast in the E.U. report, caused by resentment over richer countries having released far more climate-changing greenhouse gases and poorer countries bearing the brunt of the effects. The thawing Arctic is another potential flashpoint, according to the report, as countries and companies rush to exploit newly accessible energy sources in the region. "Climate change is best viewed as a threat multiplier which exacerbates existing trends, tensions, and instability," the report says. "The core challenge is that climate change threatens to overburden states and regions which are already fragile and conflict-prone. The risks include political and security risks that directly affect European interests."

sources:  The Guardian, The Guardian, Associated Press