NASA spent over a billion dollars last year on climate change studies…which would you rather have? Pronouncements about death trains, expert testimony for climate vandals, failed predictions, failed models, and a questionable GISTEMP dataset, or a continued manned spaceflight program?
From my perspective, NASA GISS is a duplication of climate services already covered by NOAA/NCDC, and all we seem to get from it is climate activism arrests of the chief scientist, a coffee table book by his assistant, and a snarky condescending blog called RealClimate that one private citizen and some volunteers are currently beating the pants off of in public outreach. Further, the government spent over $8.7 billion across 16 Agencies and Departments throughout the federal government on these efforts in FY 2010 alone. Inside NASA, we have duplication of climate services not only at GISS in NYC, Goddard Spaceflight in Greenbelt, MD, but also at JPL Pasadena. There’s been all sorts of domestic military base closures in the recent years to save money, and NASA Goddard and GISS re-purposed itself after the Apollo program ended and their mission did too. It’s time to close this duplication of services dinosaur, it will be missed far less than a TV comedy series by the American public. If you feel the same way, tell your representatives. – Anthony
WASHINGTON – As House leaders examine ways to cut spending and address the ever growing budget deficits that have plagued Washington for years, U.S. Representatives Bill Posey (R-FL), Sandy Adams (R-FL) and Rob Bishop (R-UT) were joined by several other of their colleagues in calling for a reprioritization of NASA so human space flight remains the primary focus of the nation’s space agency as budget cuts are considered.
In their recent letter to House Appropriations Committee Chairman Harold Rogers (R-KY) and Commerce, Justice, and Science Subcommittee Chairman Frank Wolf (R-VA), Posey, Adams and Bishop state that while “moving forward under a constrained budget, it will be critical for the Appropriations Committee to produce legislation that is precise in its budget cuts. For years, Presidents and Congress have charged NASA with completing tasks that fall outside the scope of NASA’s primary mission.
“Our space program attracts and inspires the world’s greatest minds and gives our young people inspiration to excel in math and science. Human spaceflight, however, is not simply a matter of national prestige. Our nation’s ability to access space is a critical national security asset and plays an important role in our future economic competitiveness. Space is the ultimate high ground and nations such as China, Russia, and India are anxious to seize the mantle of space supremacy should we decide to cede it.”
“Limited resources force us to make important decisions with regard to the objectives of all federal departments and agencies, including NASA,” said Representative Bill Posey (R-FL). “NASA’s primary purpose is human space exploration and directing NASA funds to study global warming undermines our ability to maintain our competitive edge in human space flight.”
“As NASA’s human spaceflight program hangs in the balance, it is imperative that we ask ourselves: What is the future of NASA? With the current administration unable or unwilling to outline a plan or stick to their original promises, it is time to refocus NASA’s mission towards space exploration,” said Representative Sandy Adams (R-FL). “That is why I am encouraging Chairmen Rogers and Wolf to reduce funding for climate change research, which undercuts one of NASA’s primary and most important objectives of human spaceflight.”
“It is counterintuitive to direct millions of dollars to NASA for duplicative climate change programs and at the same time cancel its manned space flight program- the purpose for which the agency was originally created. Far too many forget that at one time in our nation’s history we were losing the space race. With the creation of NASA, we emerged as leaders and have remained so ever since. If NASA’s manned space program disappears, our nation will once again experience a ‘Sputnik Moment.’ Our country will again watch from the sidelines as countries like Russia, China and India charge ahead as leaders in space exploration and missile defense,” said Representative Rob Bishop (R-UT).
In Fiscal Year 2010, NASA spent over 7.5% –over a billion dollars– of its budget on studying global warming/climate change. The bulk of the funds NASA received in the stimulus went toward climate change studies. Excessive growth of climate change research has not been limited to NASA. Overall, the government spent over $8.7 billion across 16 Agencies and Departments throughout the federal government on these efforts in FY 2010 alone. Global warming funding presents an opportunity to reduce spending without unduly impacting NASA’s core human spaceflight mission.
A copy of the letter can be viewed HERE.
h/t to WUWT reader Mr. Lynn
NASA GISS is a duplication of climate services already covered by NOAA/NCDC, and all we seem to get from it is climate activism arrests of the chief scientist, a coffee table book by his assistant, and a snarky condescending blog called RealClimate that one private citizen and some volunteers are currently beating the pants off of in public outreach.
But, how do you REALLY feel, Anthony?
Thanks, you nailed it!
I feel the same way about the Dept of Ed, Parks, Ag, etc, etc, etc. It seems like if states choose to have a Department of Gnat’s Ass Accounting, the feds have to have one too. If a state wants to have a top notch rep for churning out world class educated citizens, fine. And if another state prefers to churn out dimwits, that’s fine too. Each state gets to decide. Wherever you are headed, you will get there. And for sure, the Federal Government needs to downsize and stop duplicating every fart, burp, or high note a state chooses to make.
Would be one small step for NASA, and one giant step for mankind.
Well, except for the part of mankind on the AGW gravy train.
NASA should be part of the US Air Force. Their charter should be:
Take and hold the high ground of space.
This place just would not be the same without the unique personality, honeyed eloquence, youthful glow and shining virtues of Pamela Gray.
I hope they can do something about this…
US corn reserves hit lowest level in 15 years – Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_crop_report;_ylt=AqijXLlWbZzUDuEA_YoX13us0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTNpaWUyY2o2BGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTEwMjA5L3VzX2Nyb3BfcmVwb3J0BGNjb2RlA21vc3Rwb3B1bGFyBGNwb3MDOARwb3MDNQRwdANob21lX2Nva2UEc2VjA3luX2hlYWRsaW5lX2xpc3QEc2xrA3VzY29ybnJlc2Vydg–
And this…
BERNANKE : JOBS MAY TAKE YEARS TO RETURN
http://m.cnbc.com/id/41489883
What really gripes me is watching NASA GISS exert its drag on NASA Space.
NASA represents nothing less than the betrayal of the American people, another institution hijacked for political ends and it has ended with the pioneers of space exploration without the funds to explore space? There is enough money of course but it is being misspent and misdirected.
The major role of NASA should be space exploration and preparation for its exploitation to serve humanity but it seems that NASA funding attracted the attentions of of the political parasite class who are experts in the art of finding and then exploiting public funding sources. The UK has suffered greatly with national institutions eaten from the inside out until only a hollow shell remains, its a tragedy and we deserve better.
National institutions like NASA cannot serve two masters, it is either a space exploration and exploitation organisation or it is merely another arm of government enacting a political set of goals. As NASA involves itself in socio political aims it neglects its core role, more and more resources are diverted away from real and productive activities. You would think that NASA would concentrate its vast income into building a reliable space vehicle first because without that nothing else can be achieved. NASA is making the basic error of trying to do too much with too many people doing too many different things with no focus and no real world plan.
What to do then? As usual it is so simple. Shut down all unnecessary and frivolous programmes, cull all surplus staff and researchers to the bone and direct resources in turn to each priority as needed until that priority has been accomplished.
Build a reliable fleet of space vehicles.
Build a moon base.
Build up a space exploitation infrastructure.
Everything that could be done by private capital should be left to them while NASA concentrates on the pioneer role, the capitalists will follow the trail, they always have and they always will.
Every dollar counts, no waste and no frittering and lack of focus and spreading of resources, get the basics right and concentrate on making every dime count. No freeloading passengers and no parasites, no political appointees or activists just a lazer like concentration on priorities. If taxpayers actually knew how much NASA pays out in direct and indirect salaries to people with no relation to space expolitation each year they would soon realise why the shuttle is not being replaced.
I have only marginal faith that congress will de-fund the climate gravy train. Too many of the R’s (including my local one) drank the Koolade when Cap ‘n Trade came around for me to feel really good about their success in the house. And the Senate is still run by the D’s where the only incentive to vote against AGW funding lies with those who are in red states and are up for election next year.
In any case it looks like nobody in congress is serious enough about cutting spending beyond 20% or so of the deficit – hardly conducive of hopeful thoughts on my part.
NASA lost it’s way many years ago, but America has not. The successful launch and recovery of the Dragon 9 vehicle by Space X is a clear demonstration of what can be achieved if bureaucracy and those promoted above their level of incompetence are eliminated from the equation. The shuttle was a camel designed by committee and the US can thank it’s lucky stars that Aries was cancelled, because it would have been more of the same.
My understanding is that Space X operates on 0.01% of NASA’s budget. Imagine what could be achieved if all the 7.5% NASA spent on promoting climate lies and taxes were handed to Space X. Simply handed over. No committees, no plans, no NASA administrators, management or oversight. Fantastic results guaranteed overnight. Why? Because Space X are clearly following Kelly Johnson’s 14 rules and the last time NASA came close was when Wernher was around.
Hmmm, so exactly who was it who cut the lunar programs in the first place?
Am I wrong to guess that it was Republicans?
And if the earth sciences programs get cut who will be then be claiming that NASA is not giving value for money and is wasting it on crazy manned space flight ideas.
Will it be Republicans?
Or who thinks that if the earth sciences programs are cut there will be suddenly be enough money for a manned space flight program? And if there is not enough money for manned space flight, even after cuts, will these same letter writers be lobbying for increased funding to allow such a manned program to go ahead?
I am betting the answer is no.
So I think there is cheating here. The aim is to have cuts, pure and simple, and the manned space flight thing is just prestidigitation to sneak the cuts through without people complaining.
” Excessive growth of climate change research has not been limited to NASA. Overall, the government spent over $8.7 billion across 16 Agencies and Departments throughout the federal government on these efforts in FY 2010 alone.”
$8.7bn. In the US alone. And I cannot think of a single useful thing that has come out of the theory of impending climate catastrophe. It cannot even develop a decent record in prediction.
NASA should re-focus on core purpose, and it will be “one small step” ( sorry, had to be done – one for Josh maybe) towards ending this incessant distraction.
You have hit the nail squarely on the head. Can’t someone in the US fire off a freedom of information request demanding to know how much time Gavin spends working while on the public payroll?
No Mann from the USA ;>) will never go to Mars as long as Hansen is in charge.
Just a question or three…
How does a knuckle-head like Hanson keep a job with as many times as he’s been caught cooking the books? Pull that kind of stunt in the private sector and you’ll be looking for a job about as fast as you can say “hockey stick.”
Shackelton Crater, 2022.
When I heard NASA I used to think of great scientific and technological achievement. These days that name conjures up: incompetence, fraudulent data and playing petty politics.
Hanson is doing for NASA what Hitler did for the reputation of Germany.
_Jim says: February 9, 2011 at 7:09 pm
“NASA –over a billion dollars–And what was the work-product … I’ve seen some rants by Hansen, and the continued blogging by Gaven is all …”
I honestly just thought that Hansen was in NASA as a kind of hanger on with no other place to put their climategate team.
I just assumed it would be the British “home-guard” at CRU: a handful of second rate “scientists” with a few spreadsheets that they did down the pub at lunchtime so that they had time to do important things like blogging and emailing the rest of the day.
But of course the US always has to be “better” than the UK. You can’t just waste £15million, you have to show that money is no object in saving the planet and go for $1000million. Must make you proud to be a US citizen!
Never in the history of human endeavor, has so much been wasted on so little!
Sorry … sorry … just came to me …
The US wants the money for manned space flight to mars.
It all makes sense now close one program to find the monkeys for another – where else could you find “scientists” gullible enough to the budget stretches to a return journey?
I think we can cut out altogether the budgets for both GISS and manned space flight, in my humble opinion. There could be enough money left over for unmanned space flight, which is all I think NASA is worth these days, anyway. There are other scientific projects on this planet that we could better spend money on (not necessarily public money, mind you – I’m about fed up with government support of science, even for those items that could demonstrate some long-term value), such as ocean research that could enable us to mine the oceans without doing damage to the overall ecology of the ocean.
Oh dear, what a terrible shame it would be to defund the parasites, the world would almost cease to exist for all the useful idiot followers.
A catastrophy of epic proportions, heads would be exploding all over the planet, a terrible shame but no great loss and the world will cope.
NASA was a special place in the hearts and minds of millions, even the enemies of America held the NASA as special. My how the mighty have fallen into disrepair and dis repute. A quarter of the stall and half the budget in the private world would have seen a warp drive by now.
NASA should do what it does reasonably well, like space projects, and leave stuff it does not understand, like climate, to others.
Pamela Gray says:
February 9, 2011 at 9:16 pm
I feel the same way about the Dept of Ed, Parks, Ag, etc, etc, etc. It seems like if states choose to have a Department of Gnat’s Ass Accounting, the feds have to have one too. If a state wants to have a top notch rep for churning out world class educated citizens, fine. And if another state prefers to churn out dimwits, that’s fine too. Each state gets to decide. Wherever you are headed, you will get there. And for sure, the Federal Government needs to downsize and stop duplicating every fart, burp, or high note a state chooses to make.
I think that this was more succinctly put some time ago…..
“ The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
The NASA that went to the moon is long gone. I was an avid supporter of NASA as a teenager during the Gemini and Apollo programs, but not now. If you look at what NASA got for a dollar on the Constellation program and what Spacex gets for a $ then NASA looks beyond saving. Where did the $9bn spent on the Constellation program go? No wonder even pro-government Obama has given up on them. The NASA story is a story of gross waste, poor leadership and the betrayal of America. Here some of what they did:
1. Threw everything away from the Apollo program including the Apollo spacecraft, Saturn I and Saturn V (except for Skylab). Both of these rockets are still competitive today and could have been upgraded over time.
2. Developed a fragile space shuttle with no safety margin and utterly hopeless economics.
3. Stopped all development of everything else leaving no effective follow on to the shuttle. No new reliable, efficient, cost effective rocket engines. Just 3 ridiculous attempts at single stage to orbit vehicles which were all doomed to fail.
4. Tried to internalise the irreconcilable conflicts between manned spaceflight and space science – and failed.
It’s time to break up NASA into it’s manned, science satellite and aerospace components. The scientific analysis (like GISS) can be done free in universities.
The simple answer to government deficits is one has to start somewhere. Understand the hue and cry, the bawling, the stomping, the “killing our kids”, killing the planet, etc., will be heard anytime a RIF occurs. Only truly essential things need to be funded this year and the next year. Tell them they can always re-apply for funding later. But it must be started and it must be now.
NASA’s GISS is the best place to start. It should be an easy sell if the debate, what that it is, is styled in “do you want your “tax refund” reduced to pay for this?”. That should get even the attention of the pure-Obama voters receiving “work credits”.
Imho, if the GOP can’t do this one, then nothing much will be done.
I think it best that NASA focus on Muslim outreach.
After working for NASA on the Apollo program, it is really sad what has happened to this once science dedicated institution. Now turned propagandist.
Michael Cejnar says:
February 9, 2011 at 7:59 pm
“…Every law, every job and every office with the words ‘carbon’ or ‘climate’ in their title should be abolished. Every government department related to carbon or climate should be defunded and abolished if they have no other roles.”
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That might be a little extreme but I agree that as a start this is what should be looked at, examined to see whether they perform any real, cost effective and worthwhile role and if not, then scrapped.
Many posters have commented on the role of NASA and space travel. I still remember, as a very young boy, watching and listening in awe to the Apollo flights. I probably still have (somewhere) 30 or 40 hours of mission recordings on reel to reel tape. This was a definitive moment in the history of mankind since it established that man could leave this planet if he had to. The implications of this are enormous.
However, the reality is that (nuclear holocaust excepted), there will be no reason to leave this planet for millions if not a billion years. There is nothing particularly useful to man on the Moon or on Mars. The cost of rcovering anything from the Moon or Mars and bringing it back to Earth are prohibitive. There are much more useful and beneficial use of resources.
I see no point in a further manned mission to the Moon (we have been there done that) nor to Mars. I do not see what these would prove or what benefit would be achieed. I agree that robotic exploration is to be preferred. We have already opened the door and stepped out. The next step is to heighten our understanding and knowledge and wait for major technological breakthroughs that may enable us to truly explore space. However, unless we can achieve travel at close to the speed of light any space travel is simply fantasy.
I hope that man does not lose his quest for discovery and the pursuit of knowledge. The universe is a big place. There are more interesting bodies in our Solar system than either the Moon or Mars, and deep space exploration beckons. It is these that we should fix our horizon on.
May be I am too sentimental, but I would not wish to see NASA disbanded but I would like to see it return to something more akin to its roots.
wayne Job says:
February 10, 2011 at 1:37 am
Oh dear, what a terrible shame it would be to defund the parasites, the world would almost cease to exist for all the useful idiot followers.
A catastrophy of epic proportions, heads would be exploding all over the planet, a terrible shame but no great loss and the world will cope.
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Does anyone know if there has been any reaction from AGWers yet? I’ve had look around, but haven’t discovered anything so far.