Climate Wars: What People Will Be Killed For in the 21st Century

Struggles over drinking water, new outbreaks of mass violence,ethnic cleansing, civil wars in the earth’s poorestcountries, endless flows of refugees: these are the new conflictsand forces shaping the world of the 21st century. They no longerhinge on ideological rivalries between great powers but rather onissues of class, religion and resources. The genocides of the lastcentury have taught us how quickly social problems can spill overinto radical and deadly solutions. Rich countries are alreadydeveloping strategies to garner resources and keep ‘climaterefugees’ at bay.

In this major new book Harald Welzer shows how climate change andviolence go hand in hand. Climate change has far-reachingconsequences for the living conditions of peoples around the world:inhabitable spaces shrink, scarce resources become scarcer,injustices grow deeper, not only between North and South but alsobetween generations, storing up material for new social tensionsand giving rise to violent conflicts, civil wars and massiverefugee flows. Climate change poses major new challenges in termsof security, responsibility and justice, but as Welzer makesdisturbingly clear, very little is being done to confrontthem.

Keywords: Environmental Economics & Politics, Climate, conflicts, wars