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The CIA Is Shuttering a Secretive Climate Research Program

posted by martyb on Monday May 25 2015, @01:57PM   Printer-friendly
from the changed-research-climate-changes-climate-research dept.

AnonTechie writes:

Scientists used the Medea program to study how global warming could worsen conflict. Now that project has come to an end.

Some national security experts were surprised to learn that an important component of that effort has been ended. A CIA spokesperson confirmed to Climate Desk that the agency is shuttering its main climate research program. Under the program, known as Medea, the CIA had allowed civilian scientists to access classified data—such as ocean temperature and tidal readings gathered by Navy submarines and topography data collected by spy satellites—in an effort to glean insights about how global warming could create security threats around the world.In theory, the program benefited both sides: Scientists could study environmental data that was much higher-resolution than they would normally have access to, and the CIA received research insights about climate-related threats.

http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2015/05/cia-closing-its-main-climate-research-program

[Medea: Measurements of Earth Data for Environmental Analysis. - Ed]

 
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  • (Score: 2) by rts008 on Monday May 25 2015, @05:07PM

    by rts008 (3001) on Monday May 25 2015, @05:07PM (#187650)

    Maybe you need intelligence to RECOGNIZE intelligence.
    Just sayin'....

    Jokes aside, what I find interesting is this tidbit from the article:

    But the CIA's work on climate change has drawn heavy fire from a group of congressional Republicans led by Sen. John Barrasso (Wyo.). Barrasso said last year that he believes that "the climate is constantly changing" and that "the role human activity plays is not known." He recently authored an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal in which he listed the conflicts in Iraq, Syria, and elsewhere as "greater challenges" than climate change.

    I would like to think most of us have had our fill of the 'terrorist FUD' over the last 10-15 years, but can only speak for myself, and I don't even have room left for 'a wafer-thin mint' without exploding.

    I've no intention of starting a Rep. vs. Dem. flamewar, just quoting the article, and will point out it took both sides to pass the PATRIOT Act, and keep it in effect still today. Peace. I'm just tired of the FUD, no matter the source.

    FUD is a tool for those with a shady agenda. When the FUD starts flying, my distrust of the source increases, and I find myself doubting everything from that source, and more focus is applied to learning what their agenda is.
    More often than not, I find myself in opposition once I learn their agenda. This time is no exception.

    Defunding science I'm opposed to just on general principles, so I would rather the data kept flowing to the scientists.

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  • (Score: 2) by M. Baranczak on Monday May 25 2015, @05:21PM

    by M. Baranczak (1673) on Monday May 25 2015, @05:21PM (#187656)

    Barrasso said last year that he believes that "the climate is constantly changing" and that "the role human activity plays is not known."

    Let's assume that's true. Why would it be a reason to shut down the program? The CIA was looking at the potential results of climate change, not the causes. It's not like they're gonna start waterboarding Exxon executives and sending secret arms shipments to Greenpeace.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 25 2015, @06:35PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 25 2015, @06:35PM (#187685)

      Maybe Barrasso is afraid that the CIA will confirm Naomi Klein's conclusions [wikipedia.org] about the possible practical solutions ...
      "capitalism OR survival" sounds like a concept many influential people would rather not have other people (the 99%) contemplate.

      I wonder if the CIA used the German Bundeswehr's own study about the effects of climate change on global political instability.

  • (Score: 2) by Hawkwind on Monday May 25 2015, @05:21PM

    by Hawkwind (3531) on Monday May 25 2015, @05:21PM (#187657)
    Have to say I was hoping the deniers would let this planning proceed after CNA gave a strong vote for planning for global warming [cna.org]. I wonder how many of those retired generals are Republicans.
     
    btw, I remember some months ago a couple of people wondering what impact rising sea levels actually would have from a military perspective. The referenced report includes an example on page 33.

    • (Score: 5, Insightful) by rts008 on Monday May 25 2015, @05:49PM

      by rts008 (3001) on Monday May 25 2015, @05:49PM (#187666)

      I'll have to admit that the gymnastics involved in using the science for military purposes while denying the science for political purposes is rather stupefying.

      There have been many times recently where I felt my mind shut down like an old-school pinball machine when it 'tilts', when paying attention to the 'news media'. Just struck speechless.

      If someone would have traveled back in time to the 1970's with some type of viewer and video clips from 2000 until now, and played them for me, I would have thought: "Cool! Monty Python is still around in the future!" and would have thought it all satire gone to 11!(my apologies to Nigel Tufnel)

      I would have been hard to convince it was truly the future. It is like "The Life of Brian" gone horribly wrong. It was definitely more fun to watch it on TV, than it is to 'live in it' though. *sigh*