Kerry concedes: Terrorism is a bigger threat than climate change

Secretary of State John Kerry this week acknowledged twice that the Islamic State and the threat of terrorism around the world is bigger threat than climate change, even though he has insisted in past years that climate is the bigger threat.

Kerry revealed his subtle change of thinking during his trip to Europe, where he twice indicated that when it comes to global threats, terrorism is first, and climate change is a very close second.

"[L]et me just say that one of the greatest challenges of our times besides the fight against extremism is to deal with the enormous battle of climate change," he said in Denmark Thursday. The phrase "besides the fight against extremism" indicates he sees terrorism as the top threat.

He made a similar comment in Norway on Wednesday, when at first seemed prepared to say climate is the bigger issue, but then conceded that terrorism ranks at the top.

"The threat of climate change is, without question, one of the defining if not the defining challenge — I'd probably give violent extremism — have to say one of — the defining threat of a generation," he said. "And it is a challenge that everybody has to approach with urgency."