Climate Wars by Gwynne Dyer, 244 pages, Paperback Edition Published; 2009 by Random House
From the summary blurb:
‘Dwindling resources, massive population shifts, natural disasters, spreading epidemics, drought, rising sea levels, plummeting agricultural yields, crashing economies, political extremism.
When will climate change force the world’s powers into a desperate struggle for advantage – and even survival?’
And from the Introduction “Recent scientific evidence has … given us a picture of the physical impacts on our world that we can expect as our climate changes. And those impacts go far beyond the environmental. Their consequences reach to the very heart of the security agenda.” – Margaret Beckett, former British Foreign Secretary
This was a sobering read of possible future world conflict points when I initially read it back in 2009, it is a far more frightening & sadly prophetic read when now viewed through the lens of history during these past intervening years.
For this book, which is about the political and strategic consequences of climate change facing societies around the world. Dyer travelled the world interviewing scientists, soldiers, bureaucrats and politicians that are immersed in these matters on a daily basis. From those interviews and own research, Dyer then lays out in each section, the most likely credible scenario that lies ahead given the likely impacts that climate change will have on societies. Each scenario is then followed by a possible & highly plausible geographic, regional, & political, military example. (He takes pains to say these are not predictions, but possible examples).
I am certain that a reading of this book, regardless of your views on the issue of climate change, when viewed through the lens of current events & on-going developments around the world that were taking place at that time and in their lead up, and that all now form part of the mosaic of recent world history, will inevitably cause you to perhaps examine the current global news ecosystem more curiously, and emerging stories & news reports that may have initially seemed unique or of perhaps little consequence when considered in isolation, you now see them as almost predictable given the scenarios exampled in the book.
A highly recommended read.
Gwynn Dyer has served in the Canadian, American & British navies. He holds a PhD in war studies from the University of London and has taught at the Canadian Forces College and Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. He is currently a syndicated writer on international affairs for over 175 newspapers in 45 countries around the world.
P.S. For anyone interested in some ideas for a possible back-story regarding future regional armed conflicts, for a modern day conflict scenario involving different armed forces they might want to develop, this book could be a very interesting resource.
From the summary blurb:
‘Dwindling resources, massive population shifts, natural disasters, spreading epidemics, drought, rising sea levels, plummeting agricultural yields, crashing economies, political extremism.
When will climate change force the world’s powers into a desperate struggle for advantage – and even survival?’
And from the Introduction “Recent scientific evidence has … given us a picture of the physical impacts on our world that we can expect as our climate changes. And those impacts go far beyond the environmental. Their consequences reach to the very heart of the security agenda.” – Margaret Beckett, former British Foreign Secretary
This was a sobering read of possible future world conflict points when I initially read it back in 2009, it is a far more frightening & sadly prophetic read when now viewed through the lens of history during these past intervening years.
For this book, which is about the political and strategic consequences of climate change facing societies around the world. Dyer travelled the world interviewing scientists, soldiers, bureaucrats and politicians that are immersed in these matters on a daily basis. From those interviews and own research, Dyer then lays out in each section, the most likely credible scenario that lies ahead given the likely impacts that climate change will have on societies. Each scenario is then followed by a possible & highly plausible geographic, regional, & political, military example. (He takes pains to say these are not predictions, but possible examples).
I am certain that a reading of this book, regardless of your views on the issue of climate change, when viewed through the lens of current events & on-going developments around the world that were taking place at that time and in their lead up, and that all now form part of the mosaic of recent world history, will inevitably cause you to perhaps examine the current global news ecosystem more curiously, and emerging stories & news reports that may have initially seemed unique or of perhaps little consequence when considered in isolation, you now see them as almost predictable given the scenarios exampled in the book.
A highly recommended read.
Gwynn Dyer has served in the Canadian, American & British navies. He holds a PhD in war studies from the University of London and has taught at the Canadian Forces College and Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. He is currently a syndicated writer on international affairs for over 175 newspapers in 45 countries around the world.
P.S. For anyone interested in some ideas for a possible back-story regarding future regional armed conflicts, for a modern day conflict scenario involving different armed forces they might want to develop, this book could be a very interesting resource.
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