Hot Wars: Global Warming Heats Up the Possibility of War

Global warming has been said to be the culprit of a number of damaging effects to the earth and its inhabitants, including climate change, glacier retreat, rising sea levels, and… war! According to the 2007 CNA Corporation report, there are indications that as the tensions of global warming heat up, so will the possibility of a third world war.

There are two obvious factors which will be the cause of this increased threat:

1. Crowding and Territorial Tensions– The number one cause of tension, according to the report, will be the migration of different cultures in search of land and resources. Not only will these cultures suffer from disappearing resources, but the rise in sea level will engulf certain parts of the world, minimizing farm area, fresh water, and cattle.

Instead of allowing their sovereignty to disappear along with the ground under their feet, many cultures will have no other choice but to fight for their survival, which will include going to war to gain control of leftover territories. Larger powers will inevitably become part of the squabble, and before you know it, we’ve got another world war on our hands.

2. Competition of Newly Habitable Lands– As previously uninhabitable land around the Arctic becomes available due to increased temperatures, native islanders losing their dry land will see this as an opportunity to reestablish themselves. Larger world powers will be less interested in the space, but keen on exploiting its untapped resources  for economic gain.

As the possibility of war continues to heat up, the cooperative efforts of various countries to reduce global warming will decline, thereby accelerating the outcome of excessive pollution. The world will suffer at an increasingly alarming rate, causing government anxiety to run just as high as atmospheric Celsius readings. The end result… war.