On Monday night Four Corners brings you the views of distinguished former members of the US military and senior policy makers who warn that climate change is not only real, it’s a threat to global security.

“I'm here today not only representing my views on security implications of climate change, but on the collective wisdom of 16 admirals and generals.” - Rear Admiral David Titley (Retd), U.S. Navy

They say climate change is impacting on vital resources, migration patterns and conflict zones.

“Climate change is one of the variables that must be considered when thinking about instability in the world.” - Gen. Gordon Sullivan (Retd), Fmr. Chief of Staff, U.S. Army  

Rear Admiral David Titley spent 32 years in the US military. He was the US Navy’s chief oceanographer and led the Navy’s Task Force on Climate Change.  He argues climate change must be acknowledged.

“Our collective bottom line judgement is that climate change is an accelerating risk to our nation's future.” - Rear Admiral David Titley (Retd), U.S. Navy

The film analyses the conflict in Syria, the social unrest of the Arab Spring, and the rise of groups like ISIS and how these experts believe climate change is already acting as a catalyst for conflict.

“This is the heart of the problem in many ways. Climate change arrives in a world that has already been destabilised.” - Dr Christian Parenti

Director Jared P Scott explores how water and food shortages, drought, extreme weather and rising sea-levels can act as accelerants of instability. 

“We realised that climate change would be a threat multiplier for instability as people become desperate, because they have extreme weather and the seas are rising, and there are floods in one area and droughts in another, fragile states become more unpredictable.” - Sherri Goodman, Frmr. Dept Undersecretary of Defense

These Pentagon insiders say a failure to tackle climate change, conducting ‘business as usual’, would lead to profound consequences.

“It's a very dangerous thing to decide that there is one and only one line of events heading into the future and one and only one best response for dealing with that.” - Leon Fuerth, Frmr. National Security Adviser, White House '93-'01

The Age of Consequences from PBS International, directed by Jared P Scott and presented by Sarah Ferguson, goes to air on Monday 20th March at 8.30pm on ABC & ABC iview. It is replayed on Tuesday 21st March at 10.00am and Wednesday 22ndat 11pm. It can also be seen on ABC News 24 on Saturday at 8.00pm AEDT and at ABC iview.