• Trump to scrap NASA climate research in crackdown on ‘politicized science’
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[quote]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[B] elimination of Nasa’s world-renowned research into temperature, ice, clouds and other climate phenomena.[/B] [B]Nasa’s network of satellites provide a wealth of information on climate change, with the Earth science division’s budget set to grow to $2bn next year.[/B] 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.[B] “Earth-centric science is better placed at other agencies where it is their prime mission.[/B] “My guess is that it would be difficult to stop all ongoing Nasa programs but future programs should definitely be placed with other agencies.[B] 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.”[/B][/quote] [url]https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/nov/22/nasa-earth-donald-trump-eliminate-climate-change-research[/url]
Well, it says he isn't going to scrap any of the current programs, just stop funding new ones. I hope he actually does fund some other agency to make up for this and not just dump it on the 'free market'. [editline]sd[/editline] Also, holy shit, I guess Space Emperor trump is serious about being Space Emperor.
Defunding is the same as scrapping, just without the formality. Just because it's formally ended doesn't mean it will be able to do anything without any money.
I fucking knew it
Well either way, like I said, hopefully he does empower a different agency that can maybe collaborate with NASA to get the same results. In a different world it could be perfectly reasonable to want NASA to concentrate on space exploration, and some other agency to concentrate on climate research.
welp, we're fucked
"Politically correct environmental monitoring" Am I living on the same planet as these people?
What is “politically correct environmental monitoring”
I saw this the other day, but I haven't heard anything yet about what will happen with the NOAA. [QUOTE]Earth-centric science is better placed at other agencies where it is their prime mission.[/QUOTE] I am hoping that this means that nothing drastic is happening, just that there is no immediate NASA oversight to current/future missions, and that agencies like NOAA, USGS, and the EPA can act with autonomy using NASA to delegate specific missions requiring LEO/GEO payloads for observational experiments.
[QUOTE=rilez;51417127]What is “politically correct environmental monitoring”[/QUOTE] monitoring that doesn't call clean coal into question, or disproves claims about global warming being invented by the Chinese.
[QUOTE=Zenreon117;51417119]Well either way, like I said, hopefully he does empower a different agency that can maybe collaborate with NASA to get the same results. In a different world it could be perfectly reasonable to want NASA to concentrate on space exploration, and some other agency to concentrate on climate research.[/QUOTE] I sincerely doubt it. The only other possible agency I can think of is the EPA, and the Trump team is poised to put the biggest climate change denier in the US as head of it. Either he won't do anything, or he'll skew the results in his favor. [editline]23rd November 2016[/editline] It'll be great that space exploration may grow under his administration, but landing on Mars in 20 years isn't going to help climate change happening today. The earth's atmosphere and weather will take a drastic turn for the worse far before we are able to "evacuate" to another planet.
Sweet jesus imagine working your life to get into the EPA and then trump appoints a climate change denier. I'd probably quit.
[QUOTE=Saxon;51417125]"Politically correct environmental monitoring" Am I living on the same planet as these people?[/QUOTE] Exactly the predicament their best scientists will endeavor to solve.
[QUOTE=Occlusion;51417154]Sweet jesus imagine working your life to get into the EPA and then trump appoints a climate change denier. I'd probably quit.[/QUOTE] Honestly it's making me want to strive to participate in helping the environment even more, because now I know for fact that it is on the defensive. I would only hope that the fictional person in your post would do the same and not quit just yet.
It's difficult to put into the words the revulsion that I feel for this man. Donald Trump is a repugnant human being, and this shit only continues to affirm that. He's not only trying to prevent research into ways to manage climate change, but to fundamentally prevent us from even [I]understanding[/I] it. He's fighting [I]to prevent a scientific understanding of the world we live in[/I] for the sake of political power and corporate interest.
The only people making it political are the Republican party.
[QUOTE=Big Dumb American;51417165]It's difficult to put into the words the revulsion that I feel for this man. Donald Trump is a repugnant human being, and this shit only continues to affirm that. He's not only trying to prevent research into ways to manage climate change, but to fundamentally prevent us from even [I]understanding[/I] it. He's fighting [I]to prevent a scientific understanding of the world we live in[/I] for the sake of political power and corporate interest.[/QUOTE] Well when the other shoe drops and it becomes obvious that mankind must evacuate the planet in order to save itself, who will be first aboard the starships? The peasants? No, it'll be the rich and wealthy that can afford their first class ticket to survival. So if they can afford to survive it, they can afford to destroy it - at everyone else's expense.
[QUOTE=Occlusion;51417154]Sweet jesus imagine working your life to get into the EPA and then trump appoints a climate change denier. I'd probably quit.[/QUOTE] Quitting would be the same as letting ignorance win, ignorance, wilful or otherwise, should never supersede hard facts, and individuals as much as organizations are responsible to ensure this doesn't happen.
Why does the National Aeronautics and Space Administration do more climate science than the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration? I wouldn't be opposed to giving NOAA the roles and funding for climate research that NASA has been doing. But I'm skeptical that it's going to happen that easily.
[QUOTE=Big Dumb American;51417165]It's difficult to put into the words the revulsion that I feel for this man. Donald Trump is a repugnant human being, and this shit only continues to affirm that. He's not only trying to prevent research into ways to manage climate change, but to fundamentally prevent us from even [I]understanding[/I] it. He's fighting [I]to prevent a scientific understanding of the world we live in[/I] for the sake of political power and corporate interest.[/QUOTE] That is certainly one way things could go. Let's just hope all that talk about different agencies wasn't about the EPA(with climate denier lead), cause if not, there is still a good chance there will be dedicated research into this. It could definitely go bad, and it looks bad overall, but there is still the chance, judging by the his language, that he isn't inherently opposed to climate research - just that he doesn't want it clogging up NASA.
[QUOTE=Last or First;51417173]The only people making it political are the Republican party.[/QUOTE] Not really. A lot of the blame for making it political rests on Al Gore in the 90's.
[QUOTE=OvB;51417177]Why does the National Aeronautics and Space Administration do more climate science than the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration? I wouldn't be opposed to giving NOAA the roles and funding for climate research that NASA has been doing. But I'm skeptical that it's going to happen that easily.[/QUOTE] It's probably a matter of funding mismanagement. Probably a result of both having a climate change research division, but because NASA likes to go to space, the organization overall gets more funding, thus helping all its divisions. I am very skeptical that the funding "taken away" from NASA will be "put to another", any other, organization.
[QUOTE=OvB;51417177]Why does the National Aeronautics and Space Administration do more climate science than the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration? I wouldn't be opposed to giving NOAA the roles and funding for climate research that NASA has been doing. But I'm skeptical that it's going to happen that easily.[/QUOTE] That'd be fine, if I had any faith whatsoever that Donald Trump intended to revert that climate research funding into the NOAA (which is woefully underfunded as it is). But, you know. Fat chance.
[QUOTE=Occlusion;51417154]Sweet jesus imagine working your life to get into the EPA and then trump appoints a climate change denier. I'd probably quit.[/QUOTE] I know a lot of people who are a bit more worried than they already were about jobs being available after they graduate.
If this guy actually goes through with fucking up the progress we're doing when it comes to the climate, I'm gonna be mad as all hell. Feels before reals is the new mantra, and everyone can be their own scientist. Fuck this.
[QUOTE=Big Dumb American;51417187]That'd be fine, if I had any faith whatsoever that Donald Trump intended to revert that climate research funding into the NOAA (which is woefully underfunded as it is). But, you know. Fat chance.[/QUOTE] Yeah that's exactly my point.
Well, my job relies on the election and NASA funding. Things aren't looking good. I'm glad we aren't doing climate work... but can't say I'm glad to see this happening. Fuck Trump.
[QUOTE=Zenreon117;51417182]That is certainly one way things could go. Let's just hope all that talk about different agencies wasn't about the EPA(with climate denier lead), cause if not, there is still a good chance there will be dedicated research into this. It could definitely go bad, and it looks bad overall, but there is still the chance, judging by the his language, that he isn't inherently opposed to climate research - just that he doesn't want it clogging up NASA.[/QUOTE] I very sincerely doubt that this funding will be put to use in [I]any[/I] environmental research role. More likely it will be diverted to the military, given his plans to increase military spending.
[QUOTE=OvB;51417188]I know a lot of people who are a bit more worried than they already were about jobs being available after they graduate.[/QUOTE] Environmental studies graduates for jobs are actually super good right now, especially those looking into plant sciences. I even read an article about biotech companies recruiting college juniors in universities because seniors are already contracted.
[QUOTE=OvB;51417194]Yeah that's exactly my point.[/QUOTE] Yeah, I know. Wasn't trying to argue, just chiming in.
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