In the NewsThe Atlantic February 12, 2018

Does Climate Change Cause More War?

A new paper questions the growing body of evidence that weather fluctuations can prompt wars, but researchers have doubts about its value. It’s one of the most important questions of the 21st century: Will climate change provide the extra spark that pushes two otherwise peaceful nations into war? In the past half-decade, a growing body of research—spanning economics, political science, and ancient and modern history—has argued that it can and will. Solomon Hsiang, who studies conflict at UC Berkeley and co-directs the Lab, weighed in on the strong link that his research has shown between conflict and temperature.