Senator Bernie Sanders has taken some heat for his claim in
recent debates that climate change needs to be addressed because it directly
contributes to terrorism. He pointed out
that even the U. S. Central Intelligence Agency and Department of Defense have
recently expressed concerns that the harsh conditions imposed by climate change
will foment instability and conflict within and among many countries of the
world. He also cited a National Academy
of Sciences report that analyzed the severity of droughts between 2007-2010 in
Syria, which occurred just before the Syrian uprising. Fact-checking found that these reports and
analyses were correct, and scientists have associated the record droughts in
the region with climate change. However,
the science is still evolving regarding the links between climate change and
the veracity and frequency of individual storm, drought, and flood events. Moreover, the link between any single climate
event and social instability is difficult to prove. Fact-checkers have therefore
concluded that while Sen. Sanders was largely correct in his sentiments, he
should have probably stopped short of saying that the climate-terrorism connection
is “direct” since there are many other factors to also consider. Do you agree with the Department of Defense, which
considers climate change to be a “threat multiplier” for worldwide conflicts? Taking it a step further, do you think that climate
stressors can contribute to individual acts of terrorism?
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I agree with the Department of Defense that climate change is a "threat multiplier" for global conflicts. I also think it's possible that there's a link between climate change and acts of terrorism. If a country or region is suffering from severe a drought, that might lead the people who live there to carry out acts of terrorism. And if that drought is the result of climate change, then, in a way, climate change is contributing to acts of terrorism. I wouldn't say there's a direct connection between climate change and terrorism, but I think there's a connection.
ReplyDeleteI do think that climate change is probably a threat multiplier for global conflicts, with many nations taking different stances on it. However, while I'm sure droughts and other crises cause increased tensions, I do not think that they would be a direct cause of acts of terrorism.
ReplyDeleteI think that climate change is most likely a threat increaser for global conflict, but I don't think it's fair to say something like a drought is directly responsible for acts of terrorism.
ReplyDeleteI see the logic behind correlating climate change and social instability, but to call the correlation "direct" is jumping the gun. When people have lose their means of income, they will often cling to whatever is the easiest way to earn a living and provide food for their families. Climate change is certainly real and is causing environmental issues around the world. However, Bernie Sanders hurt himself with the statement, as most people will probably shrug it off as ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteChanges to one's environment can clearly have an effect on how they live and act. I believe there is definitely some connection between climate change and worldwide conflicts and those changes could be "threat multipliers." Still, I would not go so far to say that these connections are direct. People act for many more reasons than just climate change.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with the Department of Defense's assertion that climate change could be a "threat multiplier" in the world. Although it does seem a bit of a stress, it makes sense that climate change could indirectly influence the prevalence of terrorism. I think any periods of strife could result in terrorism, as many terrorist organizations win the support of locals in their country of operation by providing supplies and helping them in times of need; ISIS itself does this and successfully wins new recruits as a result. So it makes sense that climate change - or any other event causing hardship - can have a link, albeit an indirect one, on terrorism.
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