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  • More than just a test of humanity’s collective resolve, climate change is also a test of existing institutions, and that makes it a profound security risk. When a fully globalized, interdependent world is placed in a kiln and the heat is turned up, some systems will eventually emerge stronger, but many others will fail.

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    1. galbraith33 Getty Images

      Economic Theory for the Real World

      James K. Galbraith

      Although policies based on mainstream neoclassical economics, famously enshrined in the Washington Consensus, have clearly failed, economic theory has remained in a state of paralyzed confusion. What has been missing is a full shift to modern modes of thought informed by contemporary science.

      offers a new conceptual framework based on twenty-first-century science and simple observation.
    2. sirleaf9 GettyImages-612436502_AW Getty Images

      A Broken Peacekeeping Paradigm

      Ellen Johnson Sirleaf considers what can be done to make up for the breakdown in global conflict prevention and resolution.
    3. nasheed4 GettyImages-1193320010_RT

      Paradise in Peril

      Mohamed Nasheed warns that small island developing states are facing a perfect storm of debt and climate breakdown.
    4. ebi1_PRAKASH SINGHAFP via Getty Images_heatwave in india PRAKASH SINGH/AFP via Getty Images

      Surviving a Future of Extreme Heat

      Kristie L. Ebi warns that more robust systems are urgently needed to prevent hospitalizations and excess deaths.
    5. kkim1 GettyImages-2150288321_AW Getty Images

      The Climate-Conflict Nexus

      Kyungmee Kim shows how wars and geopolitical tensions are hindering progress on climate-change mitigation and adaptation.
    6. mazzucato71 GettyImages-2159148172_AW Getty Images

      The Water-Security Crisis

      Mariana Mazzucato, et al.

      Increasingly severe water shortages represent a human-made crisis that can be resolved through human interventions. The situation demands new thinking about the economics of this critical resource and how to manage it through mission-oriented strategies that span all levels of governance.

      call attention to a global problem that demands far more attention from policymakers at all levels.
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      The Mother of All Security Crises

      Lawrence Wilkerson

      US defense officials recognized early on that climate change would bring more humanitarian disasters and greater security risks, and this is exactly what has happened. The longer the issue goes unaddressed, the worse our future worst-case scenarios will become.

      brings a career military officer’s perspective to bear on the risks associated with climate change.
    9. sgoodman1GettyImages-1592915144_AW Getty Images

      Learning from the US Military’s Climate Leadership

      Sherri Goodman & Leah Emanuel explain how the American armed forces emerged at the forefront of the effort to combat global warming.
    10. stiglitz338 GettyImages-2162462221_AW Getty Images

      The Climate Stakes of the US Election

      Joseph E. Stiglitz explains what another Donald Trump presidency would mean for the country’s economic and energy security.
    11. hichilema2 GettyImages-1796858605_AW Getty Images

      Africa’s Climate-Security Agenda

      Hakainde Hichilema sees global warming as a threat to development and peace on the continent, and explains what to do about it.
    12. zzliu1 GettyImages-1676998102_AW Getty Images

      China’s Climate Balancing Act

      Zongyuan Zoe Liu explains how decarbonization and climate security have been integrated into the government’s broader agenda.
    13. bremmer32GettyImages-1233025699_AW Getty Images

      Climate Security and Geopolitics

      Ian Bremmer

      Although multilateral efforts to address climate change are not well served by deepening geopolitical rivalries or the apparent trend toward global economic fragmentation, that doesn’t mean governments have abandoned the pursuit of net-zero emissions. Instead, the process has become more competitive – and more complex.

      considers the international political dynamics of current energy, trade, and environmental policies.

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