Warmists Blame Syrian Conflict On “Climate Change”

by William Teach | September 7, 2013 8:06 am

It’s not the first time recent conflicts are being blamed on “climate change”, ie, because you, dear reader, drove a fossil fueled vehicle and probably have an ice maker in your fridge. Nor will it be the last. But Warmists see an opening to push their cult like dogma when it comes to Syria

(Motherboard[1]) Most Americans’ understanding of the root of the Syrian conflict boils down to something like this: Bashar al-Assad is a sociopathic maniac who’d rather mow down his own people than relinquish dictatorship. While that’s undoubtedly part of the equation, there’s obviously a lot more[2] at play than that. And some of the blame, scholars argue, can be traced all the way to climate change[3].

As was the case with many of the nations touched by the Arab Spring, a large swath of Syria’s citizenry wasn’t just poor, oppressed, and disenfranchised by an authoritarian regime–they were starving, too[4]. And they were starving because Syria had been stricken by a five year drought believed to be exacerbated by climate change. There was eventually too little rain to even grow crops or to feed livestock.

William Polk, an ex-US State Department advisor, has written a meticulously detailed account of the genesis of the conflict over at The Atlantic[5]. As Digby writes at Alternet[6], “It is the most cogent recitation and analysis of the Syrian crisis that I’ve seen.”

It is also an exceptionally detailed case study of how, exactly, climate change can directly influence–even precipitate–a violent conflict. Considering Syria’s path to war, step-by-step, provides a powerful breakdown of what might continue to happen in the future, so as long as the globe continues to warm, the food system continues to be in thrall to commodity traders and market swings, and vast swaths of the global population remain impoverished.

See? It’s so simple. Colleges refuse to divest from evil fossil fuels, and the next thing you know Assad (or someone) is using chemical weapons. You refuse to purchase a Chevy Volt and keep your AC at 80 degrees, and I saw you eating that cheeseburger and CO2 infused soft drink, so we can further Blame you.

The article comes via Climate Depot, which notes that the drought of the 1933 was blamed on the yo-yo[7], ending with Syria banning it.

BTW, who would possibly have thought that somewhere in the middle east would experience drought?


  1. Motherboard: http://motherboard.vice.com/blog/climate-change-warmed-syria-up-for-war
  2. obviously a lot more: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2013/03/2013313145616102879.html
  3. climate change: http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2012/03/03/437051/syria-climate-change-drought-and-social-unrest/
  4. they were starving, too: http://motherboard.vice.com/blog/we-are-now-one-year-and-counting-from-global-riots-complex-systems-theorists-say--2
  6. Digby writes at Alternet: http://www.alternet.org/syria
  7. blamed on the yo-yo: http://www.climatedepot.com/2013/09/06/2013-conflict-in-syria-blamed-on-drought-caused-by-global-warming-flashback-1933-yo-yo-banned-in-syria-blamed-for-drought-by-moslems/
  8. Pirate’s Cove: http://www.thepiratescove.us/
  9. @WilliamTeach: http://twitter.com/WilliamTeach

Source URL: https://rightwingnews.com/climate-change/warmists-blame-syrian-conflict-on-climate-change/