Trump to scrap NASA climate research in crackdown on ‘politicized science’
111 replies, posted
[QUOTE=MrJazzy;51423451]Can anyone enlighten me on how much of NASA's funding is made up of the Earth science division's funding?[/QUOTE]
[url=https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/files/NASA_FY_2016_Budget_Estimates.pdf]Second page, scroll down[/url]
[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;51423480][url=https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/files/NASA_FY_2016_Budget_Estimates.pdf]Second page, scroll down[/url][/QUOTE]
So a little less than 10% ?
Popular Mechanics referenced the OP's article about Trump slashing NASA's earth science.
It even talks about the NOAA, for you to read OvB:
[quote][B][U][I]What Happens If Trump Guts NASA's Earth Science Budget?[/I][/U][/B]
Earth science is another severely under-appreciated chunk of what NASA does. It might seem weird that America's space exploration agency devotes so much energy to our homeworld, but no other government agency is equipped to study our planet from afar and tell us what's happening in the big picture. Unless you want to let the military take over.
Besides, [B]when it comes to studying the Earth, you have to do a bunch of work from space[/B]. NASA's GOES satellites (the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite system) provides a constant stream of Earth observations useful both for short-term weather forecasting and long-term climate forecasting. The DSCOVR mission (Deep Space Climate Observatory) watches for the powerful solar storms that could wreak havoc on our planet and all its advanced technology. NASA satellites track wildfires and sea ice. They follow hurricanes and monitor sea surface temperatures. They are the only eyes and ears that can see our home from another frame of reference, and with terrifying objectivity.
So—in theory—there is a note of sense to the Trump argument, one that Republican lawmakers have pushed for a while now. It goes like this: NASA ought to be about space exploration, and watching the Earth should be left to agencies designed for that purpose, such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Science Foundation.
But here's the problem, as laid out by Scientific American:
[quote]With a budget about a quarter of NASA's, [B]NOAA spends the bulk of its funds on weather forecasting and environmental monitoring. It contracts with NASA to use the space agency's Earth-observing satellites, and relies on NASA's help in building and launching satellites of its own.[/B] The NSF has a budget roughly three times smaller than NASA's, and has essentially no involvement in building, launching or operating satellites. In recent years Republican lawmakers have sought budget cuts to climate change-related Earth science programs at all three agencies.[/quote]
Here are the numbers to know, from Popular Science:
[quote]Without NASA's participation in these kinds of climate monitoring, [B]there will be a huge gap in the data that other agencies will struggle to fill.[/B] NASA's budget for Earth Sciences in 2017 is about $2 billion out of $19 billion total. NOAA's total budget for 2017 is only $5.8 billion.[/quote]
Could Congress do this delicate surgery, taking Earth science off NASA's plate and giving NOAA the money to do the job right? Maybe. [B]But if legislators are in a mood to cut budgets, and not in the mood to hear about climate change, then slashing the money for Earth observation suddenly becomes the likely outcome.[/B][/quote]
[url]http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/environment/a24031/trump-nasa-earth-science-budget/[/url]
While it's true that NASA probably should focus on space exploration, it seems that earth science is so entrenched into the agency that gutting it will do too much damage to climate research in general by the government.
So how does this compare to the Obama administration's 20% cut in 2013?
People thinking of climate change as a political issue is a big part of the problem.
It's a matter of survival (not just for us, but for biodiversity on Earth as a whole), not Right VS. Left.
It has only gotten this bad because corporate shareholders are allowed to buy favour and influence. It's not democracy or capitalism, it's manipulation.
Hi, this is Canada. During his eleven years of reigning over us with stupidity and malice in equal measure, career oil man Stephen Harper defunded climate science, muzzled government scientists from speaking to any journalist about climate science without explicit written approval from the feds, and attempted to literally destroy most of a century's worth of world-class environmental observation data, datasets that were both prized and world-famous by the international science community.
[B]Do not let this happen to you.[/B]
We're only beginning to rebuild from the regressive steps Harper slammed through with his majority government, but we've seen this show before and it doesn't get any better. Protest the shit out of this -- turn this into the next SOPA protest.
These men intend on dismantling the institutions that have made America what it is, in the name of making it "great" again. Has anyone stopped to ask [I]for whom[/I] it will be great?
[QUOTE=MrJazzy;51423499]So how does this compare to the Obama administration's 20% cut in 2013?[/QUOTE]
that was an overall cut to nasa's budget with the bulk coming from the then retired shuttle program, today its slashing a specific department he doesn't like which is relied upon by dozens of agencies
[QUOTE=Zonesylvania;51417176]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.[/QUOTE]
Individuals are powerless and blameless if they are thoroughly encapsulated in disinformation campaigns.
You guys are all assuming Trump isn't going to just change his mind before he gets into office.
[QUOTE=Paramud;51425484]You guys are all assuming Trump isn't going to just change his mind before he gets into office.[/QUOTE]
Im expecting him to change his mind on being a man at the rate this is going.
[QUOTE=Paramud;51425484]You guys are all assuming Trump isn't going to just change his mind before he gets into office.[/QUOTE]
Yeah there's still a .0000000000000001% chance Trump will say on the day of his inauguration "Hahah you idiots actually voted for me! Look at these fools I picked to destroy our country, our planet! I'll be in my solid gold penthouse if you need me."
I'd ask where the evidence of him changing his mind is, but I forgot he almost immediately flip flopped on a bunch of his catch phrases that he used to get elected.
[QUOTE=Paramud;51425484]You guys are all assuming Trump isn't going to just change his mind before he gets into office.[/QUOTE]
Why are people still clinging to this? Give it up, he's staffed his Cabinet with lobbyists, executives, homophobes, islamaphobes, and anti-intellectuals. He's already laid the groundwork for ignorance. The only thing more ignorant is banking on him suddenly changing.
[QUOTE=Mr. Someguy;51425643]Why are people still clinging to this? Give it up, he's staffed his Cabinet with lobbyists, executives, homophobes, islamaphobes, and anti-intellectuals. He's already laid the groundwork for ignorance. The only thing more ignorant is banking on him suddenly changing.[/QUOTE]
Its called hope... Hope that at least one candidate was somewhat decent
[QUOTE=Blizzerd;51425670]Its called hope... Hope that at least one candidate was somewhat decent[/QUOTE]
She was somewhat decent.
Instead america went for objectively bad.
[QUOTE=Blizzerd;51425670]Its called hope... Hope that at least one candidate was somewhat decent[/QUOTE]
also known as buyer's remorse
[QUOTE=Mr. Someguy;51425643]Why are people still clinging to this? Give it up, he's staffed his Cabinet with lobbyists, executives, homophobes, islamaphobes, and anti-intellectuals. He's already laid the groundwork for ignorance. The only thing more ignorant is banking on him suddenly changing.[/QUOTE]
I'm not saying he's playing 6d7 minesweeper, I'm saying he's a fucking buffoon that changes his opinions more than square dancers change partners.
[editline]oh ahmburgers[/editline]
You can't expect him to stick to a statement for five minutes, let alone the two months it'll take for him to get in office.
[QUOTE=EcksDee;51425684]She was somewhat decent.
Instead america went for objectively bad.[/QUOTE]
Nah, she was properly identified as a turd... trump was a wildcard but now i guess also shit.
[editline]25th November 2016[/editline]
[QUOTE=Cone;51425731]also known as buyer's remorse[/QUOTE]
I voted shillary, talk about buyers remorse heh...
[QUOTE=Paramud;51425840]I'm not saying he's playing 6d7 minesweeper, I'm saying he's a fucking buffoon that changes his opinions more than square dancers change partners.
[editline]oh ahmburgers[/editline]
You can't expect him to stick to a statement for five minutes, let alone the two months it'll take for him to get in office.[/QUOTE]
At this point it doesn't matter if he changes his mind or not, he's picking people for cabinet seats that will enact his ass policies regardless of afterthought.
[QUOTE=Blizzerd;51426007]Nah, she was properly identified as a turd... trump was a wildcard but now i guess also shit.
[editline]25th November 2016[/editline]
I voted shillary, talk about buyers remorse heh...[/QUOTE]
yeah she was a turd with decent to good policies.
Everyone always knew Trump was a shitty turd, and his policies were also objectively bad.
Don't play this as "Trump is bad but Clinton is worse." Comparing them like that completely undermines how monumentally bad that manchild of a cunt Trump is.
[QUOTE=Blizzerd;51425670]Its called hope... Hope that at least one candidate was somewhat decent[/QUOTE]
I'd be leery of calling a man who howled for the execution of innocent people using a full page news ad, who refused to allow african americans to rent flats in his apartment blocks, who's a disgusting human being in general, who called openly for the muslims to wear identifying markers, and plans to shatter the country economically with Reaganomics 2.0, a decent human being.
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