Waves of climate refugees. Dozens of failed states. All-out war. From one of the world’s great geopolitical analysts comes a terrifying glimpse of the near future, when climate change drives the world’s powers towards the cutthroat politics of survival.
An increase of as little as two degrees Celsius in average global temperature—which is almost inevitable—could heat global politics to boiling point and trigger massive conflicts over scarce food and water. Bringing together extensive interviews and the latest research in this revised and updated edition, Gwynne Dyer reveals the truth about our planet’s future. Can our technology save us, or is it too late? Where do our best hopes for damage limitation lie?
Prescient and unflinching, Climate Wars will be one of the most important books of the coming years. Read it and find out what we’re heading for.
'Gwynne Dyer's brilliant analysis, in Climate Wars, of the geopolitical conflicts that may unfold over the next few decades — even if we do get serious about global warming — is almost too fearsome to absorb. When I talk to the scientists themselves, there is a palpable sense of panic, something confirmed by Dyer in his interviews conducted around the world.'
Clive Hamilton, The Monthly
'Gwynne Dyer is one of the few who are both courageous enough to tell the unvarnished truth, and have the background to understand, not misrepresent the inputs. This book does a superb job of detailing the emerging realities of Climate/Energy. These realities are not pretty.'
Dennis Bushnell, Chief Scientist, NASA
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'This is a truly important and timely book. No one, not even the IPCC, really knows what the world climate will be ten years from now, but we and our governments have to make intelligent guesses. Gwynne Dyer has made the best and most plausible set of guesses I have yet seen about the human consequences of climate change, of how drought and heat may ignite wars, even nuclear wars, around the globe.'
James Lovelock, British Geophysicist, author of The Revenge of Gaia
'The current debate on climate change is mostly on its future effects, but few are brave enough to work out what they might be. Here is a lively, alarming and even entertaining attempt to look ahead. Water and war have always been associated. We need hope as well as good sense in looking at the future. Here it is.'
Sir Crispin Tickell, Director of Policy Foresight Programme, James Martin 21st Century School, University of Oxford
'Anyone still complacent about climate change will find Climate Wars instructive and disturbing. These articulate insights into climate geopolitics by military historian Gwynne Dyer are an important tool for understanding why the climate challenge is big, hard, and vital to human survival — yet soluble if we pay attention now.'
Amory B. Lovins, Chairman & Chief Scientist, Rocky Mountain Institute
