Kerry: Climate change made the Syrian civil war far worse

Secretary of State John Kerry acknowledged Saturday that climate change didn't cause the Syrian conflict, but he said it did play a large role in making the situation worse. In a speech at the Milan Expo in Italy, Kerry said that climate change and the resulting food shortages play a large role in national security and urged the international community to come together to find a solution. "Make no mistake: The implications here extend well beyond hunger," Kerry said, according to an Associated Press report. "This isn't only about global food security; it's about global security — period." Violence in Syria under the regime of President Bashar Assad has resulted in the mass migration of millions of immigrants into Europe, straining resources there. Kerry said that the already-bad situation under the regime was worsened by climate change and the resulting drought and food shortage...more