Washington, D.C. October 21, 2021 – Today, Congressman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, released the following statement after the Intelligence Community released a National Intelligence Estimate on the threat of climate change:
Climate change is an existential threat that will have a devastating impact on the health, economic stability, and security of our nation. The comprehensive National Intelligence Estimate released by the Intelligence Community documents the threat of increased geopolitical tensions, water scarcity, mass migration due to increasingly inhospitable environments, and extreme weather that will precipitate widespread destruction and suffering.
Climate change should not be political, and this estimate reinforces that now is the moment for transformative climate action to avert the growing catastrophe. Anything less will expose the United States to national security risks that will leave our country weaker against adversaries and unable to protect our people against the chaos that will accompany a changing climate.
This estimate also demonstrates why the Intelligence Community has a critical role to play in our response to climate change, and why ensuring the IC has the expertise and capacity to inform policy makers about these issues is so important. For several years, the Intelligence Committee has been pushing to ensure the IC is focused on the national security risk of climate change, and the NIE released today is an important step forward.
Note:
ODNI Releases Intelligence Estimate on Climate Change: https://www.dni.gov/index.php/newsroom/press-releases/press-releases-2021