Move over soaring temperature, floods, cyclones and melting icebergs. Now global warming is being linked to another dreaded phenomenon of recent times. The chairman of the National Intelligence Council (NIC) in the US told the Congress yesterday that the rising natural calamities can destabilize poor countries and hence act as a breeding ground for terrorists.
As we have seen in the past, the terrorism has always been brewed in economically and socially backward areas. They are used by various religious or regional fanatics but the backgrounds of them are mostly the same. Global warming, with all its side effects is going to create more of such people who would have the potential of turning into terrorists. Those who are already economically stressed would face more pressure as the climate worsens. Destruction of crops or lose of property in various calamities would force them to migrate to other places and even there they might not find the desired respite. So, in such conditions rebellious or even criminal thoughts can even take root very easily. Rich nations like the USA would enjoy the benefits of global warming for some years as it would increase the crop yield, but after that it would also face extreme weather conditions. We have seen food riots in various places in the recent past due to soaring prices which is only an indication of what is coming.
The irony is that people are still willing to downplay or divert attention from this topic. The NIC report has been classified by the congress hence preventing it from getting published and discussed in public domain. Some of them are actually criticizing the report rather than taking any constructive steps. They are still not being able to see beyond their office years and leading us towards a bleak future with their characteristic ignorance!
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Source: CNN