Last year the U.S. Intelligence Community warned of a coronavirus pandemic. Will we heed their climate warnings?

The authors use the 2019 Worldwide Threat Assessment's accurate prediction of a pandemic to urge policymakers to act on similar warnings regarding climate change. They highlight how environmental degradation and climate hazards threaten global infrastructure, food and water security, and geopolitical stability, particularly in coastal areas and the Arctic.

• The 2019 Worldwide Threat Assessment identified regional climate change as one of the factors contributing to more frequent outbreaks of infectious diseases, alongside unplanned urbanization, humanitarian crises, and human incursion into unsettled land.
• Climate hazards, including extreme weather, sea level rise, and acidifying oceans, are intensifying and threatening health, infrastructure, and food and water security, which may fuel social discontent and economic distress.
• Urban coastal areas in the Western Hemisphere, South Asia, and Southeast Asia are particularly vulnerable to extreme weather and sea level rise, which could damage energy, transportation, and communication infrastructure and affect military bases.
• In countries such as Jordan, Iraq, Ethiopia, and Egypt, the combination of poor governance and changes in the frequency of floods, droughts, and heat waves is increasing the risk of interstate tension, migration, and social unrest.
• The reduction of Arctic sea ice, which was 25 percent below the 30-year average (1980-2010) in 2018, is lowering the cost of commercial activities and increasing competition for natural resources and sea routes, specifically involving China and Russia.

APA

Conger, J., Femia, F., & Werrell, C. (2020). Last year the U.S. Intelligence Community warned of a coronavirus pandemic. Will we heed their climate warnings? The Council on Strategic Risks. https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/2020/03/19/last-year-the-u-s-intelligence-community-warned-of-a-coronavirus-pandemic-will-we-heed-their-climate-warnings/

Chicago

Conger, John, Francesco Femia, and Caitlin Werrell. Last year the U.S. Intelligence Community warned of a coronavirus pandemic. Will we heed their climate warnings? The Council on Strategic Risks, 2020. https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/2020/03/19/last-year-the-u-s-intelligence-community-warned-of-a-coronavirus-pandemic-will-we-heed-their-climate-warnings/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Conger |first1=John |last2=Femia |first2=Francesco |last3=Werrell |first3=Caitlin |title=Last year the U.S. Intelligence Community warned of a coronavirus pandemic. Will we heed their climate warnings? |publisher=The Council on Strategic Risks |date=19 March 2020 |url=https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/2020/03/19/last-year-the-u-s-intelligence-community-warned-of-a-coronavirus-pandemic-will-we-heed-their-climate-warnings/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{conger2020last, author = {Conger, John and Femia, Francesco and Werrell, Caitlin}, title = {{Last year the U.S. Intelligence Community warned of a coronavirus pandemic. Will we heed their climate warnings?}}, publisher = {The Council on Strategic Risks}, year = {2020}, month = mar, url = {https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/2020/03/19/last-year-the-u-s-intelligence-community-warned-of-a-coronavirus-pandemic-will-we-heed-their-climate-warnings/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }