Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) linked the increase in global terrorism to climate change during the Democratic debate Saturday night.
"Climate change is directly related to the growth of terrorism," Sanders said to CBS anchor John Dickerson. "If we do not get our act together and listen to what the scientists say, you’re going to see countries all over the world, and this is what the CIA says, they are going to be struggling over limited amounts of water, limited amounts of land to grow their crops, and you are going to see all sorts of international conflict."
The liberal senator stood by his stance that climate change is the greatest threat facing the U.S. today.
"Climate change is the greatest threat facing the planet," Sanders previously said, adding that the "debate is over" on the science behind climate change. Martin O'Malley has made similar claims about the Islamic State.
"The scientific community is telling us if we do not address the global crisis of climate change, transform our energy system away from fossil fuels to sustainable energy, the planet we’re going to be leaving our kids and our grandchildren may well not be habitable. That is a major crisis," he said.
The topic was brought up a night after 129 people were killed in Paris Friday by coordinated IS attacks that forced the country to close its borders.
The horror in Paris is not the only major terrorist attack this week. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for a bombing in Beirut that killed 41 people on Thursday.