Wednesday, November 23, 2016

How much can he reasonably expect to defund?

"Donald Trump is poised to eliminate all climate change research conducted by Nasa as part of a crackdown on “politicized science”, his senior adviser on issues relating to the space agency has said.
Nasa’s Earth science division is set to be stripped of funding in favor of exploration of deep space, with the president-elect having set a goal during the campaign to explore the entire solar system by the end of the century.
This would mean the elimination of Nasa’s world-renowned research into temperature, ice, clouds and other climate phenomena. Nasa’s network of satellites provide a wealth of information on climate change, with the Earth science division’s budget set to grow to $2bnnext year. By comparison, space exploration has been scaled back somewhat, with a proposed budget of $2.8bn in 2017.
Bob Walker, a senior Trump campaign adviser, said there was no need for Nasa to do what he has previously described as “politically correct environmental monitoring”.
“We see Nasa in an exploration role, in deep space research,” Walker told the Guardian. “Earth-centric science is better placed at other agencies where it is their prime mission.
“My guess is that it would be difficult to stop all ongoing Nasa programs but future programs should definitely be placed with other agencies. I believe that climate research is necessary but it has been heavily politicized, which has undermined a lot of the work that researchers have been doing. Mr Trump’s decisions will be based upon solid science, not politicized science.”
Trump has previously said that climate change is a “hoax” perpetrated by the Chinese, although on Tuesday he said there is “some connectivity” between human actions and the climate. There is overwhelming and long-established evidence that burning fossil fuels and deforestation causes the release of heat-trapping gases, therefore causing the warming experienced in recent decades.
Walker, however, claimed that doubt over the role of human activity in climate change “is a view shared by half the climatologists in the world. We need good science to tell us what the reality is and science could do that if politicians didn’t interfere with it.”



It’s understood that federal government scientists have been unnerved by Trump’s dismissal of climate science and are concerned that their work will be sidelined as part of a new pro-fossil fuels and deregulation agenda. Climate scientists at other organizations expressed dismay at the potential gutting of Earth-based research.
Kevin Trenberth, senior scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, said as Nasa provides the scientific community with new instruments and techniques, the elimination of Earth sciences would be “a major setback if not devastating”.
“It could put us back into the ‘dark ages’ of almost the pre-satellite era,” he said. “It would be extremely short sighted.
“We live on planet Earth and there is much to discover, and it is essential to track and monitor many things from space. Information on planet Earth and its atmosphere and oceans is essential for our way of life. Space research is a luxury, Earth observations are essential.”"

21 comments:

ndspinelli said...

Trump will cave on climate change, people his children's age have been indoctrinated. Ivanka went to Choate, the most ecologically liberal of all prep schools. Global Warming is woven into the entire curriculum.

Defunding sanctuary cities is teed up for him. The DOJ quietly signed off on in July, the defunding of sanctuary cities at the request of Rep House members. Trump can order that edict from July to be enforced on 1/20/17. I'll say again, this is an easy layup. If he caves on this, he's a bigger liar than even Sixty believes he is.

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

I readily admit that there is something aesthetically pleasing about having the National Aeronautics and Space Administration limited to aeronautics and space.

But I guess "NASA" is what marketers call a strong brand.

edutcher said...

"Mr Trump’s decisions will be based upon solid science, not politicized science.”

All we can ask.

Evi L. Bloggerlady said...

When I can plant coconut palms and jack fruit in Minnesota, let me know.

Let me know when I can plant them in Orlando (without them dying in a couple of years).

deborah said...

Nick, very interesting news about sanctuary cities...the DOJ signed off on eliminating them in July!? At the request of the House? No veto had to be overridden...I guess I'd better do some research.

deborah said...

I have read that NASA satellite results on surface temperature has been fudged to indicate hotter temps than actual.

On the other hand, Evi, we are seeing an uptick in mosquito borne diseases. Eventually they are going to creep northward. Not that they'll reach the northern tier anytime soon. But still, Florida, and even as high as Virginia will be affected sooner rather than later.

The question is if there are any bennies for a warmer climate overall.

ndspinelli said...

Deborah, I saw a Rep Congressman[don't remember his name] interviewed this morning. He said that he and the Rep on his committee went to Lynch "quietly" and she signed off on it. He said it's on the DOJ website. The Congressman implied Lynch probably thought it would have no teeth since President Hillary could just veto the defunding. Obama has usurped the funding and defunding role of Congress via executive action, although he has lost in court on a couple cases. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw this interview.

ricpic said...

"....any bennies for a warmer climate overall."

Longer growing season. That's a yuuge benny all by itself.

deborah said...

Thanks, Nick, I'll be on the lookout to see if news aggregators pick up on it.

Yes, good one, ricpic. Having lived in VA and OH, I know there's a big difference.

Evi L. Bloggerlady said...

NASA has a role in promoting science and monitoring earth temperatures, weather and climate is part of that (just like looking out with the Hubble space telescope is part of NASA's role). I want a greater emphasis on the moon station that I have been waiting for since 1970 and less PC crap about Muslim contributions to science and subsidized chidey lectures from Neil de Grasse Tyson and Bill Nye the Fucking Asshole Guy.

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

I'm going to form no strong opinion about the proper role for NASA until we hear from an expert, like, say, this guy.

deborah said...

Disclaimer: I had a geek-crush on Nye when my kids were little.

Evi, are you in any way influenced by sci-fi...Clarke's _A Fall of Moondust_ or Heinlein's _The Moon is a Harsh Mistress_? I know I am. So I'm guessing along the lines of monitoring incoming meteors big enough to wipe out most life on earth?

edutcher said...

As to the question of "How much can he reasonably expect to defund?", we're how many Trillion in debt?

deborah said...

I have read that NASA satellite results on surface temperature has been fudged to indicate hotter temps than actual

Remember, during the Obamanation, NASA's role was to provide outreach to the Islamic world, so I guess, like the rest of DC, there's a lot of political deadwood to clear out.

Nick, very interesting news about sanctuary cities...the DOJ signed off on eliminating them in July!? At the request of the House? No veto had to be overridden...I guess I'd better do some research.

It may be an administrative resolution, so it has no effect as law, simply more Kabuki.

deborah said...

Bat, I think you mean Sheldon...

I'm Full of Soup said...

Heh Bill Nye the so-called Science Guy has a mechanical engineer background while Rajendra Pauchari, Chairman of the UN's IPCC, was a railroad engineer and also has a PhD in industrial engineering and economics. They are mostly frauds- I will give them that.

Evi L. Bloggerlady said...

Deborah: Yes, and much more than that...

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

OT: not that anyone cares:
The girl kitty I trapped behind a restaurant (just found out it's a female) is going to be placed into the adoption pool at the local humane society. woohoo!

This guy needs more recognition. Dr. Peter Ward. I think he's on to something. In a nutshell- his theory on warming and cooling is that it has more to do with the ozone depletion and volcanic activity. No climate scientist has been able to re-create the Carbon-greenhouse-gas theory in a lab. He offers $10,000 to any scientist who can re-create the greenhouse gas theory.

rhhardin said...

Finding science research that isn't based on curiosity just raises the noise level.

It's all career advancement and grantsmanship.

deborah said...

Tell us one more, Evi :) omg, just realized you might say missile defense.

April, volcanic activity...has he tracked a correlation? (I care about that kitty.)

Absolutely, rh, the whole of elites is involved in rent-seeking.


Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Deborah ;)

I've never trapped a kitty before. Her meow broke my heart. so weee and small. The other 3 feral cats would chase it away. I had to do something. I thought it was too late and that I'd be forced to re-release her. So incredibly happy humane society was willing to socialize her. Life on the streets in winter is rough.

Here's his web site. He does the ice core research.

deborah said...

Thanks for the link, April.

Last year I helped a friend release a feral cat, that had been spayed, back into her neighborhood. It was a stealth job under cover of night, as her neighbor hated stray cats.