Among Climate Threats, Military Leaders See Population Growth, Natural Resources as Key Factors
May 27, 2014 • Climate Change & Mitigation, United States, Daily Email Recap
Among Climate Threats, Military Leaders See Population Growth, Natural Resources as Key Factors
In 2007, an influential analysis by 11 retired generals and admirals characterized climate change as a “threat multiplier” that could aggravate the conditions for conflict. Last week, in a follow-up report launched at the Wilson Center, members of the CNA Corporation’s Military Advisory Board framed climate change as a more direct and immediate risk, calling it a “catalyst for conflict.”
The new report re-examines the risks of climate change in the context of advancing science and a “more complex and integrated world.” Perhaps surprisingly, the group of retired flag officers from all four branches of the U.S. military also come out strongly in favor of cross-sectoral responses to climate change, noting that the food-water-energy nexus and demographic shifts are inextricably linked to vulnerability.
Rapid Population Growth Exacerbates Vulnerabilities
Since the Military Advisory Board’s 2007 report, world population has grown by more than a half a billion people. This growth means increased competition for natural resources, the authors write – specifically water, food, and energy, the availability of which is also exacerbated by climate change.
Current World Population
7,755,306,314
Net Growth During Your Visit
0
