ABC: Analyst warns of looming global climate wars

The prospect of global wars driven by climate change is not something often discussed publicly by our political leaders.

But according to one of America's top military analysts, governments in the US and UK are already being briefed by their own military strategists about how to prepare for a world of mass famine, floods of refugees and even nuclear conflicts over resources.

clipped from www.abc.net.au Speaking about his latest book, Climate Wars, he says there is a sense of suppressed panic from the scientists and military leaders. "It may mean the collapse in the global trade of food because while some countries still have enough, there is still a global food shortage," he said. "If you can't buy food internationally and you can't raise enough at home, what do you do? You move. So refugee pressures - huge ones - are one of the things that drives these security considerations." But he says that closer to the equator in the relatively arid zone - where Australia is situated - there will be very serious droughts. "[There will be] huge falls in the amount of crops that you can grow because there isn't the rain and it's too hot," he said. He says a fall in crops and food production means there will be refugees, people who are desperate.