ISIS and Global Warming Are Considered Top Security Threats by Most of the World

And then there is the US.

Debsuddha Banerjee/Zuma

People around the world consider climate change to be a top security threat—and in some cases the biggest threat, according to a survey published Tuesday by Pew Research Center. The poll surveyed 42,000 adults in 38 countries and asked them to prioritize eight types of perceived threats, including concern about the economy, cybersecurity, climate change, and ISIS. 

Of course, views on all these issues varied widely depending on region, age, and the political leanings of those who were surveyed. In most cases, especially in most western European countries, climate change ranks in second place when it’s not a top concern. Overall 13 countries surveyed—most clustered in Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa—ranked global warming as the top concern. Eighteen nations picked ISIS.

Americans tend to consider ISIS and cybersecurity to be greater threats than climate change, in comparison to Canada and most European countries. Out of the eight issues polled, Americans rank climate change third (56 percent), while 74 percent rank ISIS as number one, and 71 percent see cyberattacks as a top threat. Cybesecurity also comes in second in Germany and the UK, which were also recent victims of high-profile attacks. 

Among those who do consider climate change a major security threat, the US is also uniquely polarized. Eighty-six percent of liberals say climate change is a major concern, while only 31 percent of conservatives say the same. The right-left divide exists in other countries, but no country approaches the 55-point gap in the US. 

Though terrorism dominates the news when an attack occurs, in terms of sheer scale, the threat of climate change is far greater. Obama was criticized for saying as much as president, but national security experts have been making these connections for years, warning that global warming is a “catalyst for conflict,” and growing cause for instability.  

Hundreds of thousands of people die each year from heat waves, flooding, and other climate-related impacts, while millions more die from breathing bad air. In contrast, terrorism killed 29,376 globally in 2015 for the second-deadliest year on record, according to Institute for Economics and Peace’s annual index. 

There’s one other way US exceptionalism comes through in this survey: Pew also asked respondents about their concern over Russia, China, and US influence and power. Thanks to Trump’s unpopular reputation abroad, concern about the US role is on the rise.

More Mother Jones reporting on Climate Desk

AN IMPORTANT UPDATE

We’re falling behind our online fundraising goals and we can’t sustain coming up short on donations month after month. Perhaps you’ve heard? It is impossibly hard in the news business right now, with layoffs intensifying and fancy new startups and funding going kaput.

The crisis facing journalism and democracy isn’t going away anytime soon. And neither is Mother Jones, our readers, or our unique way of doing in-depth reporting that exists to bring about change.

Which is exactly why, despite the challenges we face, we just took a big gulp and joined forces with the Center for Investigative Reporting, a team of ace journalists who create the amazing podcast and public radio show Reveal.

If you can part with even just a few bucks, please help us pick up the pace of donations. We simply can’t afford to keep falling behind on our fundraising targets month after month.

Editor-in-Chief Clara Jeffery said it well to our team recently, and that team 100 percent includes readers like you who make it all possible: “This is a year to prove that we can pull off this merger, grow our audiences and impact, attract more funding and keep growing. More broadly, it’s a year when the very future of both journalism and democracy is on the line. We have to go for every important story, every reader/listener/viewer, and leave it all on the field. I’m very proud of all the hard work that’s gotten us to this moment, and confident that we can meet it.”

Let’s do this. If you can right now, please support Mother Jones and investigative journalism with an urgently needed donation today.

payment methods

AN IMPORTANT UPDATE

We’re falling behind our online fundraising goals and we can’t sustain coming up short on donations month after month. Perhaps you’ve heard? It is impossibly hard in the news business right now, with layoffs intensifying and fancy new startups and funding going kaput.

The crisis facing journalism and democracy isn’t going away anytime soon. And neither is Mother Jones, our readers, or our unique way of doing in-depth reporting that exists to bring about change.

Which is exactly why, despite the challenges we face, we just took a big gulp and joined forces with the Center for Investigative Reporting, a team of ace journalists who create the amazing podcast and public radio show Reveal.

If you can part with even just a few bucks, please help us pick up the pace of donations. We simply can’t afford to keep falling behind on our fundraising targets month after month.

Editor-in-Chief Clara Jeffery said it well to our team recently, and that team 100 percent includes readers like you who make it all possible: “This is a year to prove that we can pull off this merger, grow our audiences and impact, attract more funding and keep growing. More broadly, it’s a year when the very future of both journalism and democracy is on the line. We have to go for every important story, every reader/listener/viewer, and leave it all on the field. I’m very proud of all the hard work that’s gotten us to this moment, and confident that we can meet it.”

Let’s do this. If you can right now, please support Mother Jones and investigative journalism with an urgently needed donation today.

payment methods

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate