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EU Steels for Global Warming Conflict With Russians
Climate change will multiply trouble: report
By Jason Farago
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Posted Mar 7, 08 6:21 AM CST
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(Newser)
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The already-fraught relationship between Europe and Russia is bound to get worse in the next few decades. That's the sobering conclusion of a new European Union report on global warming and international politics, which concludes that climate change will act as a "threat multiplier," exacerbating today's problems and generating new ones. In the Arctic, the Middle East and the Caribbean, ecological transformations will have global political consequences, reports Reuters.
The report, prepared by the European Commission for EU leaders, warns of many scenarios: massive migration from islands and coastal areas as sea levels rise, or border disputes as land becomes less arable. But it highlights the recent showdown over Arctic sovereignty, which culminated in a Russian expedition team boldly planting their flag at the North Pole. As trade routes open and energy resources dwindle, the battle for the top of the world could spell major regional conflicts, the report warns.