Scientists Use Spy Technology to Understand Climate Change
By: Lauren Farber
In this article, The New York Times reports that in recognition of the potential national security implications of climate change, the Obama Administration has quietly endorsed the renewal of Medea (Measurements of Earth Data for Environmental Analysis). This program has facilitated collaboration between the intelligence and scientific communities to understand climate trends through the use of CIA satellites and classified monitoring technologies. The program previously ran from 1992 to 2001, when funding was cut by the Bush Administration. Discussion between former Vice President Al Gore and Senate Intelligence chairwoman Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) led to the program’s reinstatement in 2009. Scientists in the last year have taken advantage of this unfiltered access by closely examining changes in the Arctic Circle, an area particularly vulnerable to the effects of global warming. In monitoring these changes over a period of years, it will be possible to distinguish seasonal melting from environmental changes that will have implications for long-term security. As CIA spokeswoman Paula Weiss stated, “[CIA Director Leon Panetta] believes it is crucial to examine the potential national security implications of phenomena such as desertification, rising sea levels, and population shifts.” There has been criticism that Medea is an unnecessary diversion of intelligence resources, but according to Ralph Cicerone, President of the National Academy of Sciences and a member of Medea’s research team, the program comes at virtually no cost and has profound benefits. Ultimately, this partnership has increased the capacity of the scientific community to understand and predict climate trends above and beyond what purely human intelligence would allow.
There is a growing consensus in the national security community on the threat posed by climate change. A 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) fact sheet cites climate change as a powerful trend reshaping the international landscape. The National Intelligence Council issued a report on the implications of Global Climate Change stating that climate change would alter geopolitics. The intelligence and defense community recognizes climate change as a threat to our security. Congress needs to follow their lead.
