Global mean surface temperature difference from the average for 1880–2009 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

‘As the mercury rises, so too will a tide of human violence, according to a new analysis that puts a fresh spin on the phrase “dangerous climate change”.

Indeed, if societies respond to future warming in the same way as they have responded to historical surges in temperature, the frequency of civil wars could increase by more than 50 per cent by the middle of the century…

The new study is by economists at the University of California, Berkeley, who sought to make sense of a recent explosion of research into the relationship between climate and conflict. Marshall Burke and his colleagues used a meta-analysis of multiple studies, combining the different findings to try to find definitive answers.’ (New Scientist).