Researchers Expect Violent Response to Climate Change
Posted on September 30, 2013
Researchers from Princeton University and the University of California-Berkeley expect climate change to result in a more violent world. The researchers say, "Should climate change trigger the upsurge in heat and rainfall that scientists predict, people may face a threat just as perilous and volatile as extreme weather - each other."
The researchers say they analyzed 60 studies from different disciplines to explore connections between weather and violence. They found that 1 standard-deviation shift in heat or rainfall boosts the risk of a riot, civil war or ethnic conflict by an average of 14 percent. The researchers note that some climate change models predict an average of 2 to 4 standard-deviation shifts in global climate conditions by 2050. The frightening reported was published in the journal, Science, last month.
Climate shifts can cause instability, which has lead to war and violence throughout human history. Hot weather can also make people angrier. Take a look: