The US intelligence community on Thursday classified India as “highly vulnerable” to climate change alongside 10 other countries.
In a new assessment by national intelligence services, the Office of Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) forecast that global warming will increase geopolitical tensions and heighten risks to US national security by 2040.
These estimates consist of highly significant evaluations by the US intelligence agencies.
In addition to India, Afghanistan, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Iraq, Pakistan, Nicaragua, Columbia, Myanmar, and North Korea feature on the list as “of concern” with climate change.
Heat, drought, water availability and ineffectual government pose particular concerns to Afghanistan.
Hydrological conflicts are also an important “geopolitical flashpoint” in India and the rest of South Asia.
The report points to two other areas where there are concerns of US intelligence agencies.
The report noted divergences in global approaches to fighting climate change, noting that countries that need fossil-fuel exports to underwrite their economies will “continue to resist a quick transition to a zero-carbon world because they fear the economic, political, and geopolitical costs of doing so.”
“I am worried that the COP will lack representation from African continent.”
The high cost of hotels, COVID-19 travel curbs and quarantine rules have activists from developing countries concerned that their voices won’t be heard at the COP26 in Glasgow.https://t.co/50xgWcDrCl
— The Wire Science (@TheWireScience) October 21, 2021
The principal sticking points include emissions-cut pledges, climate finance, fossil fuels and Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
As the UN conference was postponed last year, this year is the deadline for countries to make steeper emissions cut pledges.https://t.co/2QgCSpQz58
— The Wire Science (@TheWireScience) October 20, 2021
To prevent the rejection of a growing foetus as a parasitic invader, maternal immune systems undergo an overhaul that alters their responses to infection in order to support the pregnancy.https://t.co/x9ao8piefU
— The Wire Science (@TheWireScience) October 20, 2021
The United Nations’ new ‘Production Gap Report’, published on October 18, found that the world’s countries appear to be making little effort to actually reduce the production of fossil fuels, irrespective of demand. | @kapilsubramani1 writeshttps://t.co/eHHuHvNPNT
— The Wire Science (@TheWireScience) October 20, 2021
Heat, drought, water availability and ineffective government make Afghanistan specifically worrying. Water disputes are also a key geopolitical flashpoint in India and the rest of South Asia. https://t.co/zDNp7wuvdz
— The Wire Science (@TheWireScience) October 21, 2021
The report pulls up Jair Bolsonaro for holding out for India’s Covaxin even though it was still in phase 3 trials, and refused offers from Moderna and Pfizer.
As a result, Covaxin has lost its reputation in Brazil. | @ShobhanSaxena, @flomcosta https://t.co/nrOK3ebLAS
— The Wire Science (@TheWireScience) October 21, 2021
South Korea’s first domestically built space rocket blasted off on Thursday, but failed to fully place a dummy satellite into orbit.
Despite the failure, President Moon Jae-in said, “The ‘Korea Space Age’ is approaching.”https://t.co/1Et97OW1G2
— The Wire Science (@TheWireScience) October 21, 2021
The cumulative doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive has exceeded 100 crore.
The daily rise in new coronavirus infections has been below 30,000 for 27 straight days.#100CroreVaccinationhttps://t.co/RK7ny2bxiX
— The Wire Science (@TheWireScience) October 21, 2021
While some climate projections do look past 2100, these longer-term projections aren’t being factored into mainstream climate adaptation and environmental decision-making today.https://t.co/CCQ2cM6XR4
— The Wire Science (@TheWireScience) October 21, 2021
"After years of climate talks and national pledges, especially under the Paris Agreement, carbon emissions have been exactly what experts predicted a decade ago under a 'business-as-usual' scenario – meaning we have made little progress." https://t.co/CH83NgQMmj
— VM (@1amnerd) October 20, 2021
The environment ministry has reversed its stance on inviting private entities to amend the Indian Forest Act 1927.
In its current form, the Act vests power over India’s forests more with states than with the Centre.https://t.co/9KiAQAMmiD
— The Wire Science (@TheWireScience) October 21, 2021
The courts’ decisions to invoke the 2017 Mental Healthcare Act’s various safeguards for persons with mental illness allow us to question other laws that discriminate against them. | @ManiFaa, @arjunkapoor, @netshrink of @CMHLPIndia write https://t.co/PCKDp9Kb9B
— The Wire Science (@TheWireScience) October 21, 2021
If you keep watching a comb jelly, you may be able to tell which end is the butt, because you’ll see it eat and you’ll also see it poop.
A few years ago, researchers discovered that the warty comb jelly has a disappearing anus.https://t.co/6P1kNbXzAM
— The Wire Science (@TheWireScience) October 21, 2021
Science can be a powerful political tool.
Values shape science at nearly every stage, from deciding what phenomena to study to choosing how to study and talk about them.https://t.co/YehmGon74G
— The Wire Science (@TheWireScience) October 20, 2021
Uttarakhand reported at least 42 rain-related deaths on Tuesday with many people still trapped under the rubble after landslides.
While UP witnessed four fatalities, heavy downpour in Kerala filled several dams to the brim.https://t.co/cfxWXWqUhg
— The Wire Science (@TheWireScience) October 20, 2021
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