Climate change is a threat to national security

Climate change doesn’t just pose an existential threat to our planet; it’s also ratcheting up national security risks. From food insecurity to resource scarcity to unstable borders, climate change could lead to a rise in political tensions both within the U.S. and between other countries.

How is climate change a security risk?

Climate change increases the world’s instability and thus worsens national security . An unpredictable climate “leads to heightened risks of interpersonal and intergroup violence,” said the World Economic Forum . A one degree Celsius increase in temperature can “increase interpersonal violence by approximately 2%, while intergroup conflict risk increases by 2.5% to 5%.” This is largely attributed to resource loss. With a two-degree increase, “not only will