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Columbia Energy Exchange

Climate as a Catalyst for Global Conflicts

Guest

Peter Schwartzstein

Author of "The Heat and the Fury: On the Frontlines of Climate Violence"

Climate change isn’t just an environmental threat—it’s becoming a catalyst for conflict.

Over the past decade, rising temperatures, water shortages, and other environmental disruptions have fueled tensions from the deserts of Iraq to the mountains of Nepal. And according to journalist Peter Schwartzstein, we’re witnessing the emergence of a new, dangerous phenomenon: climate-related violence.

In his new book, “The Heat and the Fury: On the Frontlines of Climate Violence,” Schwartzstein takes readers on a harrowing journey, revealing how climate change is fundamentally reshaping human conflict.

What happens when water becomes scarce? How do extreme weather events transform recruitment strategies for terrorist groups? And are even wealthy democracies vulnerable to this emerging form of societal stress?

Peter is an award-winning journalist specializing in climate security with extensive reporting experience across the Middle East and Africa. His work has been featured in publications including National Geographic, The New York Times, and Foreign Policy. As a journalist who has been chased by kidnappers and has navigated dangerous environments to tell critical stories, Schwartzstein offers a unique, ground-level perspective on how climate change is reshaping global security.

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Energy and Climate Issues During the Trump Administration’s First 100 Days

President Donald Trump has made energy a clear focus for his second term in the White House. Having campaigned on an “America First” platform that highlighted domestic fossil-fuel growth, the reversal of climate policies and clean energy incentives advanced by the Biden administration, and substantial tariffs on key US trading partners, he declared an “energy emergency” on his first day in office.

Energy and Climate Issues During the Trump Administration’s First 100 Days
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