Spying on the environment, C.I.A. style
Environment spy. Now that sounds like an amazing job. Spending your days examining images from spy satellites, holding clandestine meetings with scientists. What’s the Arctic up to now? We’re watching you, rainforests.
What I just described isn’t an idea for a new “green” James Bond, it’s actually happening. C.I.A. spies and top environmental scientists are working together to monitor climate change around the world using the agency’s high-tech sensitive instruments (reconnaissance satellites and other classified sensors).
The partnership idea isn’t new — it was shut down by the Bush administration years ago, but now it’s come back to life. The C.I.A. is making data gathered by their instruments available to scientists to examine the effects of climate change, like the movement of polar ice. The classified images are collected during the course of regular intelligence gathering and then passed onto scientists who’ve received secret clearance.
The great thing about this program is that it’s virtually free. The C.I.A. already has the satellites and sensors out there regularly collecting images, so nothing new has to be done but to analyze what’s there. The spies and scientists involved hope to not only be able to figure out what effects have happened, but predict future environmental impact.
via NY Times
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