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Peter Schwartzstein

@schwartzstein.bsky.social
3.1K followers 166 following 37 posts

Environmental journalist and researcher. Fellow @Stimsoncenter & Center for Climate and Security (@CntrClimSec), @TED Fellow. Author of 'The Heat and the Fury: On the Frontlines of Climate Violence.' Based: Athens + Amman

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Peter Schwartzstein @schwartzstein.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Amid the war in the Gulf, in Gaza, Syria's transition, and now Yemen, events in Iraq have struggled to gain much traction in a troubled region. But 'sleeping' on Iraq has seldom ended well for its citizens or for others. Away from the headlines, the country continues to wrestle with severe water 1/
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Peter Schwartzstein @schwartzstein.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Water weaponization is all the rage these days. But while bombed desal plants might capture the headlines, it's the withholding & deployment of water data to sometimes-hostile ends that may be more likely to fuel geopolitically significant tension. I write: www.newsecuritybeat.org/2026/09/a-ne...
newsecuritybeat.org
A New Frontier in the Weaponization of Water
As the full horror of August’s disastrous floods in Nepal became apparent, the social media inquest began. Many armchair commentators were quick to blame China, accusing it of withholding [...]
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Peter Schwartzstein @schwartzstein.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
I wrote up a few thoughts about how climate shocks and stresses are rendering ecologically and politically vulnerable states, like Nepal, all but ungovernable.
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Richard Delevan @richard.wickedproblems.earth · 30/06/2026
A hotter world is a more violent world - from the home to the neighbourhood to the borders. @schwartzstein.bsky.social wrote one of the definitive accounts: footnotepress.com/books/the-he...
footnotepress.com
The Heat and the Fury
‘A landmark work on perhaps the essential question of our time’ – David Wallace-Wells, author of The Uninhabitable Earth In this ground-breaking book, environmental journalist, Pe…
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Princeton University Press @princetonupress.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Peter Schwartzstein's The Heat and the Fury is now out in #paperback from @islandpress.bsky.social. In this book, he not only puts readers on the frontlines of climate violence but gives us the context to make sense of seemingly senseless acts. Learn more: press.princeton.edu/books/paperb...
The Heat and the Fury: On the Frontlines of Climate Violence by Peter Schwartzstein
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Peter Schwartzstein @schwartzstein.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
Excited to send this back out into the world in paperback form. For unfortunate reasons, it remains as current as ever
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Peter Schwartzstein @schwartzstein.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
I'm very excited to see the paperback out next week. Read for a sense of what climate's contribution to violence looks like through the stories of those affected on the ground--farmers, soldiers, pirates (!) etc. It's a relationship that has, regrettably, only strengthened since 2024.
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Island Press @islandpress.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
We are thrilled to see two Island Press titles listed as Honorable Mentions for @sejorg.bsky.social's Rachel Carson Environment Book Award! Congratulations to @jmingle.bsky.social, author of Gaslight, and @schwartzstein.bsky.social, author of The Heat and the Fury! Learn more: hubs.ly/Q04f_zqq0
Gaslight: The Atlantic Coast Pipeline and the Fight for America's Energy Future by Jonathan MingleJonathan MingleThe Heat and the Fury: On the Frontlines of Climate Violence by Peter SchwartzsteinPeter Schwartzstein
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Conflict and Environment Observatory @ceobs.org · 19/01/2026
The Al-Sunut Forest Reserve in #Khartoum #Sudan largely survived the war but social media footage suggests deforestation following the recapture of the city. Wartime deforestation rates are very high across Sudan as people seek fuelwood and charcoal. 1/2 #EyesOnSudan
Graphic, left hand side a false colour image of the Al-Sunut area from December 2024 with vegetated areas picked out in a red false colour. An inset shows densely packed acacia trees growing from a bare mud soil. The reserve is on the edge of the White Nile, which floods it. Right hand side, same image dated January 2026, there is far less red in the forest area, while an inset shows acacia tree stumps.
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Peter Schwartzstein @schwartzstein.bsky.social · 29/10/2025
Climate-related insecurity is coming for Europe, too. In the first exploration of the continent's vulnerability to troubles of this nature, we found that climate stresses are already fueling everything from rural crime to heightened water tensions at almost every level. peace.fes.de/e/a-distant-...
peace.fes.de
A Distant Problem No Longer
How climate change is fuelling crime and fraying trust across Europe
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Peter Schwartzstein @schwartzstein.bsky.social · 09/10/2025
Londoners, come join us on Monday (13th) for what we promise will be a fascinating, timely, and not necessarily-as-bleak-as-it-sounds discussion! www.kcl.ac.uk/events/the-h...
kcl.ac.uk
Book talk—The Heat and the Fury: On the Frontlines of Climate Violence | King's College London
Join us for an engaging discussion of the book The Heat and the Fury: On the Frontlines of Climate Violence.
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Peter Schwartzstein @schwartzstein.bsky.social · 04/09/2025
Climate change is fueling security challenges across the board. I wrote about one of the 'newer' and lesser explored but by no means minor inter-state risks. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/02/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | When Climate Change Blurs Borders
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Peter Schwartzstein @schwartzstein.bsky.social · 26/07/2025
A fast spreading wildfire along Athens’ northern edge. One of dozens springing up across Greece today. Bone dry landscape meets intense heatwave and strong winds etc
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Andy Scollick @andyscollick.bsky.social · 24/04/2025
Destabilization From ‘Within’: A “Termite Theory” of Climate’s Pathway to Violence | Peter Schwartzstein @schwartzstein.bsky.social #Climate #ClimateChange #Security #Conflict #Defence #Governance councilonstrategicrisks.org/2025/04/23/d...
councilonstrategicrisks.org
Destabilization From ‘Within’: A “Termite Theory” of Climate’s Pathway to Violence - The Council on Strategic Risks
Climate change isn’t just an external driver of violence, in many cases, it quietly erodes the structures that help prevent it from within, like a termite.
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Emily Turner @emilyturner2000.bsky.social · 01/04/2025
A wonderful review for @schwartzstein.bsky.social “The Heat and the Fury is an extraordinary work that advances the scholarship on climate security in a text that is as accessible to newcomers as it is enriching for academic specialists.” www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
tandfonline.com
Environment and Resources
The Heat and the Fury: On the Frontlines of Climate ViolencePeter Schwartzstein. Washington DC: Island Press, 2024. $32.00. 328 pp.Slow Burn: The Hidden Costs of a Warming WorldR. Jisung Park. Prin...
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Emily Turner @emilyturner2000.bsky.social · 12/03/2025
Tom Henry @sejorg.bsky.social calls The Heat and Fury by @schwartzstein.bsky.social "bold, ambitious, incredibly researched and deftly written." www.sej.org/publications...
sej.org
With Climate, an Undercurrent of Violence
In his ambitious first book, “The Heat and the Fury: On the Frontlines of Climate Violence,” journalist Peter Schwartzstein explores how climate change explains conflict, even war. BookShelf editor To...
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Peter Schwartzstein @schwartzstein.bsky.social · 01/03/2025
Media freedom is crumbling even faster in the Caucasus than in many other parts of the world. A donation to OC Media, a superb regional outlet, can help slow the rot oc-media.org/oc-media-fac...
oc-media.org
OC Media faces closure after Trump–Musk aid cuts hit $250,000 in funding
The cuts to NED followed the Trump administration’s dismantling of USAID, which also impacted OC Media.
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Josh Busby @busbyj2.bsky.social · 20/02/2025
Austinites, we are hosting a terrific event next week with journalist @schwartzstein.bsky.social on his terrific book on climate and security. Wednesday, Feb. 26th at 5:15pm. With generous support from @strausscenter.bsky.social www.strausscenter.org/events/the-h...
strausscenter.org
The Heat and the Fury: On the Front Lines of Climate Violence with Peter Schwartzstein - The Strauss Center
On Wednesday, February 26, the Strauss Center for International Security and Law and LBJ School of Public Affairs will host a discussion with environmental journalist and researcher Peter Schwartzstei...
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Sustainable Carolina @sustainable-unc.bsky.social · 17/02/2025
This Thursday! Don't miss @schwartzstein.bsky.social at the FedEx Global Education Center. He'll be discussing his book, which looks at how climate change contributes to violence around the world.
buff.ly
'The Heat and the Fury: On the Frontlines of Climate Violence' with Peter Schwartzstein - UNC Global Affairs
Join UNC Global Affairs and the Royster Society of Fellows for a Diplomatic Discussion with Peter Schwartzstein, environmental journalist and author of the book, The Heat and the Fury: On the…
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Peter Schwartzstein @schwartzstein.bsky.social · 11/02/2025
As warming intensifies and as fears of wobbly food markets escalate in this messy political moment, more countries are seeking to carve out food production elsewhere. The latest example: Water insecure Algeria. grain.org/e/7229
grain.org
The mirage of food security: Big farming in North Africa's deserts
Big farming projects in North Africa’s deserts are presented as a response to food insecurity. But aquifers will be depleted and costs will be high. While small farmers are pushed out, there's no guar...
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Peter Schwartzstein @schwartzstein.bsky.social · 29/01/2025
Alongside a very kind review of my book by the legendary Robin Hanbury-Tenison, Geographical, the Royal Geographical Society's magazine, asked me to recommend a bunch of reads of my own. Here! geographical.co.uk/culture/writ...
geographical.co.uk
Writer's reads: Peter Schwartzstein
Peter Shwartzstein recommends his favourite books in our latest Writer's Reads. His latest book, The Heat and the Fury, is out now
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Peter Schwartzstein @schwartzstein.bsky.social · 27/01/2025
A bitter illustration of the difficulties of the Green Transition in Greece's now-jobless coal country. The money and (makings of a) plan can be there. State capacity may not be. www.ekathimerini.com/economy/1259...
ekathimerini.com
Lignite transition plan for Western Macedonia, Arcadia stalled | eKathimerini.com
The so-called Fair Growth Transition Program has run up against the usual weaknesses of the Greek state.
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Peter Schwartzstein @schwartzstein.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
Keen on a 4 minute spin through the who, where, why, how of climate-related violence? And all replete with a foreboding soundtrack & a shirt that could likely have used a pre-shoot wash? I've got just the thing for you with my just-published TED talk! www.ted.com/talks/peter_...
ted.com
Why violence is rising with global temperatures
Climate change doesn't just melt ice caps, it also fuels conflict, corruption and division worldwide, explains TED Fellow and journalist Peter Schwartzstein. From droughts in Syria to rising seas in B...
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Peter Schwartzstein @schwartzstein.bsky.social · 31/12/2024
EPIC is very close to reaching its year-end financial goal. We'd be very grateful for those final bits of pre-NYE giving!
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Peter Schwartzstein @schwartzstein.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
Keen on a 4 minute spin through the who, where, why, how of climate-related violence? And all replete with a foreboding soundtrack & a shirt that could likely have used a pre-shoot wash? I've got just the thing for you with my just-published TED talk! www.ted.com/talks/peter_...
ted.com
Why violence is rising with global temperatures
Climate change doesn't just melt ice caps, it also fuels conflict, corruption and division worldwide, explains TED Fellow and journalist Peter Schwartzstein. From droughts in Syria to rising seas in B...
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Peter Schwartzstein @schwartzstein.bsky.social · 10/12/2024
Though few Syrians will deem it an immediate priority (for obvious reasons), the *possible* end of fighting offers a vital opportunity to begin addressing yrs of brutal enviro & climate destruction. The landscape, which was already degraded by unsustainable pre-war ag policies, is in tatters 1/
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Brett Walton @waltonbrett.bsky.social · 04/12/2024
How are water, climate, and violence connected? I spoke with journalist @schwartzstein.bsky.social about The Heat and the Fury, his new book on the topic. It's nuanced reporting on a complex and growing problem. Worth 20 mins of your day! www.circleofblue.org/2024/world/o...
circleofblue.org
On the Frontlines of Climate Violence: A Conversation with Author Peter Schwartzstein
Climate shocks can lead to violent disruptions.
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Peter Schwartzstein @schwartzstein.bsky.social · 04/12/2024
I recently joined the board of EPIC (Enabling Peace in Iraq Center), an excellent small non-profit that is trying to expand its anti-gas flaring campaigns in southern Iraq. If you feel able to contribute to the organization's fundraising, we'd be very grateful! www.gofundme.com/f/empower-ir...
gofundme.com
Donate to Double Your Impact: Empower Iraq's Environmental Movement, organized by Erik Gustafson
EPIC (Enabling Peace in Iraq Center) has been challenged by a… Erik Gustafson needs your support for Double Your Impact: Empower Iraq's Environmental Movement
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Peter Schwartzstein @schwartzstein.bsky.social · 21/11/2024
For those of you in the US & Canada, my book (and all other @islandpress.bsky.social publications) is available at 50% off for the next 3 days. Come one, come all etc! islandpress.org/books/heat-a...
islandpress.org
The Heat and the Fury
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Inkstick Media @inkstickmedia.com · 21/11/2024
In his new book, The Heat and the Fury, @schwartzstein.bsky.social takes readers to the frontlines of a world wracked by climate catastrophes — and the violence they breed. Review by @wrodgers2.bsky.social
buff.ly
Staring Climate Violence in the Face as the World Burns
In his new book, journalist Peter Schwartzstein takes readers to the frontlines of a world wracked by climate catastrophes and violence.
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Hanne L Knaepen @hannelknaepen.bsky.social · 19/11/2024
Next week, on 26 November, we are thrilled to welcome @schwartzstein.bsky.social in our @ecdpm.bsky.social office for the launch of "𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐮𝐫𝐲", diving into often overlooked connections between climate change and conflict. Register here 👉🏼 bit.ly/3ANO7IS.
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Peter Schwartzstein @schwartzstein.bsky.social · 15/11/2024
Today is 'peace day' at COP, a fitting if slightly contrived hook for me to launch into Blue Sky in earnest! Six weeks ago, my book, 'The Heat and the Fury: On the Frontlines of Climate Violence,' was published. It's the product of ~10 years of reporting, all with a view to spelling out the (1)
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Peter Schwartzstein @schwartzstein.bsky.social · 14/10/2023
A Reminder from Israel and Gaza on the Importance and Limitations of Environmental Peacebuilding www.newsecuritybeat.org/2023/10/remi...
newsecuritybeat.org
A Reminder from Israel and Gaza on the Importance and Limitations of Environmental Peacebuilding
I flew into Tel Aviv last Friday afternoon, primed for a week of meetings with Israeli and Palestinian environmentalists and officials. By sounding out these men and women in Jerusalem, the West [...]
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Peter Schwartzstein @schwartzstein.bsky.social · 07/10/2023
It's been an awful awful day here in Jerusalem. The tales filtering in of atrocities in southern Israel are horrific. The coming days in Gaza and elsewhere promise to be as bad or worse.
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Geoff Dabelko @geoffdabelko.bsky.social · 05/10/2023
Insight on new journal Environment & Security in editors interview on @newsecuritybeat.bsky.social. Consider it as an outlet for environmental peacebuilding, climate security, environmental security, and natural resources and conflict work. I would say that even if I wasn't on the editorial board...
newsecuritybeat.org
New Journal | Q&A with Environment and Security’s Editorial Team
Environment and Security is a new journal published by the Environmental Peacebuilding Association and SAGE Publishing. The journal represents the evolution of a field of study that began in [...]
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