The CIA confirmed that its climate research program has ended — just days after President Obama called climate change “an immediate risk to our national security.”
Measurements of Earth Data for Environmental Analysis, or Medea, which began in the 1990s, allowed civilian scientists access to classified satellite data. The program was scrapped under former President George W. Bush, but reconstituted in 2010 under president Obama.
The CIA confirmed the cancellation of the program Thursday, news outlet Mother Jones reported.
“These projects have been completed and CIA will employ these research results and engage external experts as it continues to evaluate the national security implications of climate change,” CIA spokesman Ryan Whaylen said Friday, Defense One reported.
Marc Levy, a Columbia University political scientist, questioned the CIA’s decision.
“The climate problems are getting worse in a way that our data systems are not equipped to handle. There’s a growing gap between what we can currently get our hands on, and what we need to respond better. So that’s inconsistent with the idea that Medea has run out of useful things to do,” Mr. Levy said, Mother Jones reported.
The agency did not comment when asked if future collections of data would be made available to civilian scientists, Defense One reported.
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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