Looks like another GISS miss, more than a few people are getting fed up with Jim Hansen and Gavin Schmidt and their climate shenanigans. Some very prominent NASA voices speak out in a scathing letter to current NASA administrator Charles Bolden, Jr.. When Chris Kraft, the man who presided over NASA’s finest hour, and the engineering miracle of saving Apollo 13 speaks, people listen. UPDATE: I’ve added a poll at the end of this story.
See also: The Right Stuff: what the NASA astronauts say about global warming
Former NASA scientists, astronauts admonish agency on climate change position
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Blanquita Cullum 703-307-9510 bqview at mac.com
Joint letter to NASA Administrator blasts agency’s policy of ignoring empirical evidence
HOUSTON, TX – April 10, 2012.
49 former NASA scientists and astronauts sent a letter to NASA Administrator Charles Bolden last week admonishing the agency for it’s role in advocating a high degree of certainty that man-made CO2 is a major cause of climate change while neglecting empirical evidence that calls the theory into question.
The group, which includes seven Apollo astronauts and two former directors of NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, are dismayed over the failure of NASA, and specifically the Goddard Institute For Space Studies (GISS), to make an objective assessment of all available scientific data on climate change. They charge that NASA is relying too heavily on complex climate models that have proven scientifically inadequate in predicting climate only one or two decades in advance.
H. Leighton Steward, chairman of the non-profit Plants Need CO2, noted that many of the former NASA scientists harbored doubts about the significance of the C02-climate change theory and have concerns over NASA’s advocacy on the issue. While making presentations in late 2011 to many of the signatories of the letter, Steward realized that the NASA scientists should make their concerns known to NASA and the GISS.
“These American heroes – the astronauts that took to space and the scientists and engineers that put them there – are simply stating their concern over NASA’s extreme advocacy for an unproven theory,” said Leighton Steward. “There’s a concern that if it turns out that CO2 is not a major cause of climate change, NASA will have put the reputation of NASA, NASA’s current and former employees, and even the very reputation of science itself at risk of public ridicule and distrust.”
Select excerpts from the letter:
- “The unbridled advocacy of CO2 being the major cause of climate change is unbecoming of NASA’s history of making an objective assessment of all available scientific data prior to making decisions or public statements.”
- “We believe the claims by NASA and GISS, that man-made carbon dioxide is having a catastrophic impact on global climate change are not substantiated.”
- “We request that NASA refrain from including unproven and unsupported remarks in its future releases and websites on this subject.”
The full text of the letter:
March 28, 2012
The Honorable Charles Bolden, Jr.
NASA Administrator
NASA Headquarters
Washington, D.C. 20546-0001
Dear Charlie,
We, the undersigned, respectfully request that NASA and the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) refrain from including unproven remarks in public releases and websites. We believe the claims by NASA and GISS, that man-made carbon dioxide is having a catastrophic impact on global climate change are not substantiated, especially when considering thousands of years of empirical data. With hundreds of well-known climate scientists and tens of thousands of other scientists publicly declaring their disbelief in the catastrophic forecasts, coming particularly from the GISS leadership, it is clear that the science is NOT settled.
The unbridled advocacy of CO2 being the major cause of climate change is unbecoming of NASA’s history of making an objective assessment of all available scientific data prior to making decisions or public statements.
As former NASA employees, we feel that NASA’s advocacy of an extreme position, prior to a thorough study of the possible overwhelming impact of natural climate drivers is inappropriate. We request that NASA refrain from including unproven and unsupported remarks in its future releases and websites on this subject. At risk is damage to the exemplary reputation of NASA, NASA’s current or former scientists and employees, and even the reputation of science itself.
For additional information regarding the science behind our concern, we recommend that you contact Harrison Schmitt or Walter Cunningham, or others they can recommend to you.
Thank you for considering this request.
Sincerely,
(Attached signatures)
CC: Mr. John Grunsfeld, Associate Administrator for Science
CC: Ass Mr. Chris Scolese, Director, Goddard Space Flight Center
Ref: Letter to NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, dated 3-26-12, regarding a request for NASA to refrain from making unsubstantiated claims that human produced CO2 is having a catastrophic impact on climate change.
/s/ Jack Barneburg, Jack – JSC, Space Shuttle Structures, Engineering Directorate, 34 years
/s/ Larry Bell – JSC, Mgr. Crew Systems Div., Engineering Directorate, 32 years
/s/ Dr. Donald Bogard – JSC, Principal Investigator, Science Directorate, 41 years
/s/ Jerry C. Bostick – JSC, Principal Investigator, Science Directorate, 23 years
/s/ Dr. Phillip K. Chapman – JSC, Scientist – astronaut, 5 years
/s/ Michael F. Collins, JSC, Chief, Flight Design and Dynamics Division, MOD, 41 years
/s/ Dr. Kenneth Cox – JSC, Chief Flight Dynamics Div., Engr. Directorate, 40 years
/s/ Walter Cunningham – JSC, Astronaut, Apollo 7, 8 years
/s/ Dr. Donald M. Curry – JSC, Mgr. Shuttle Leading Edge, Thermal Protection Sys., Engr. Dir., 44 years
/s/ Leroy Day – Hdq. Deputy Director, Space Shuttle Program, 19 years
/s/ Dr. Henry P. Decell, Jr. – JSC, Chief, Theory & Analysis Office, 5 years
/s/Charles F. Deiterich – JSC, Mgr., Flight Operations Integration, MOD, 30 years
/s/ Dr. Harold Doiron – JSC, Chairman, Shuttle Pogo Prevention Panel, 16 years
/s/ Charles Duke – JSC, Astronaut, Apollo 16, 10 years
/s/ Anita Gale
/s/ Grace Germany – JSC, Program Analyst, 35 years
/s/ Ed Gibson – JSC, Astronaut Skylab 4, 14 years
/s/ Richard Gordon – JSC, Astronaut, Gemini Xi, Apollo 12, 9 years
/s/ Gerald C. Griffin – JSC, Apollo Flight Director, and Director of Johnson Space Center, 22 years
/s/ Thomas M. Grubbs – JSC, Chief, Aircraft Maintenance and Engineering Branch, 31 years
/s/ Thomas J. Harmon
/s/ David W. Heath – JSC, Reentry Specialist, MOD, 30 years
/s/ Miguel A. Hernandez, Jr. – JSC, Flight crew training and operations, 3 years
/s/ James R. Roundtree – JSC Branch Chief, 26 years
/s/ Enoch Jones – JSC, Mgr. SE&I, Shuttle Program Office, 26 years
/s/ Dr. Joseph Kerwin – JSC, Astronaut, Skylab 2, Director of Space and Life Sciences, 22 years
/s/ Jack Knight – JSC, Chief, Advanced Operations and Development Division, MOD, 40 years
/s/ Dr. Christopher C. Kraft – JSC, Apollo Flight Director and Director of Johnson Space Center, 24 years
/s/ Paul C. Kramer – JSC, Ass.t for Planning Aeroscience and Flight Mechanics Div., Egr. Dir., 34 years
/s/ Alex (Skip) Larsen
/s/ Dr. Lubert Leger – JSC, Ass’t. Chief Materials Division, Engr. Directorate, 30 years
/s/ Dr. Humbolt C. Mandell – JSC, Mgr. Shuttle Program Control and Advance Programs, 40 years
/s/ Donald K. McCutchen – JSC, Project Engineer – Space Shuttle and ISS Program Offices, 33 years
/s/ Thomas L. (Tom) Moser – Hdq. Dep. Assoc. Admin. & Director, Space Station Program, 28 years
/s/ Dr. George Mueller – Hdq., Assoc. Adm., Office of Space Flight, 6 years
/s/ Tom Ohesorge
/s/ James Peacock – JSC, Apollo and Shuttle Program Office, 21 years
/s/ Richard McFarland – JSC, Mgr. Motion Simulators, 28 years
/s/ Joseph E. Rogers – JSC, Chief, Structures and Dynamics Branch, Engr. Directorate,40 years
/s/ Bernard J. Rosenbaum – JSC, Chief Engineer, Propulsion and Power Division, Engr. Dir., 48 years
/s/ Dr. Harrison (Jack) Schmitt – JSC, Astronaut Apollo 17, 10 years
/s/ Gerard C. Shows – JSC, Asst. Manager, Quality Assurance, 30 years
/s/ Kenneth Suit – JSC, Ass’t Mgr., Systems Integration, Space Shuttle, 37 years
/s/ Robert F. Thompson – JSC, Program Manager, Space Shuttle, 44 years/s/ Frank Van Renesselaer – Hdq., Mgr. Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters, 15 years
/s/ Dr. James Visentine – JSC Materials Branch, Engineering Directorate, 30 years
/s/ Manfred (Dutch) von Ehrenfried – JSC, Flight Controller; Mercury, Gemini & Apollo, MOD, 10 years
/s/ George Weisskopf – JSC, Avionics Systems Division, Engineering Dir., 40 years
/s/ Al Worden – JSC, Astronaut, Apollo 15, 9 years
/s/ Thomas (Tom) Wysmuller – JSC, Meteorologist, 5 years
===============================================================
hat tip to to Bob Ferguson, SPPI
UPDATE: I’ve added this poll:
Of all the unmitigated gall…
These people are former NASA “employees” and quite obviously out of the loop and uninformed.
Their letter has absolutely nothing to do with the Commander- In- Chief’s new mission for NASA: reaching out to the Muslim World.
/
just to point out the obvious. NASA has had its space exploration wings clipped. NASA and GISS are getting grants for Climate Change studies. Where is the money? Pay me an hundred thou a year and I’ll produce a scientific paper that says that the monkeys are causing climate change, if that’s what you want to hear.
The poll looks tight between the retirement supporters and the keep him on. I voted to keep him on.
Hansen will just say that they are, ‘the wrong stuff!’
Bwaaaa!! (sorry… I couldn’t help it)
I knew it was only a matter of time before REAL scientists would start to take a stand against this CAGW charade.
This trickle of brave scientists will soon turn into a torrent, and eventually it will be a race across academia of who in their department were the first to express serious doubt on this awful CAGW *sigh*ence.
I’m going to take the time to send many of the signatories of this letter to Bolden an e-mail thanking them for their courage.
I am one who would join the sentiment of, “with my taxes, I purchase civilization”.
However, I am not okay with paying this man’s bills.
So while I wanted to click keep him going, I say skip the watch, and give him a boot in the behind on the way out the door. He obviously will not stop spouting nonsense once (if) removed from his position at NASA – but I think it would do a lot to help discredit him and the entire movement, if the original warmist himself was sacked for his lies and abuse of power.
All that said, this just made my whole week 😀
Oh Dear. Sounds like Mr Hansen should not have travelled to Scotland, because the rebels are raising Cain, while he’s out of the country. Very medieval stuff really. No doubt, it’ll reinforce both his martyrdom for the cause and his messianic complex.
Pointman
Fire somebody for being wrong?
Hell no!
That’s a warmist tactic.
A voice of dissent is always needed. We might think we’re right, we might actually even be right, but we cannot know we’re right unless we’ve heard and considered every alternate argument.
HEROES! These are my heroes. Those men and women who put us in space. Welcome home.
What, no Oliver Manual…what gives?
What a novel idea! Let the data lead, not the models. The only thing surprising is that it took them so long to ask that question.
I think this leter comes from Heartland too LOL
REPLY: No, it doesn’t and you’re an idiot for suggesting it does – Anthony
It’s about time some heroes stepped up to help out when emprical data alone is losing the battle to illogic and policy drift. Looking on the bright side, at least all that massive computer data leak from NASA is just giving junk info to the pirates and spies–oh except for that three-stage nuclear- capable missile about to be fired from North Korea.
Wait fo the documentary on the History channel.
The rise and fall of NASA from Redstone rocket to Keystone pipeline.
This is excellent. Things are opening up at last. What a relief to see a story like this.
NASA should not worry about losing credibility because of Hanson and Schmidt. They lost it when they had 8 years to replace the shuttle (the span of time from the mandate to get to the moon and achieving the goal spanned), came up with something that looked like the Apollo moon rocket and then could not pull it off.
I will admit it is embarrising that Hanson and Schmidt don’t seem to like satellite data much, preferring old terrestial instruments in constant need of correction. As far as the “tremendous resources” Hanson acuses skeptics like these of having, he has a point. These people are retired and no longer have to rely on government grants for support to make ends meet so they no longer have to hew to a narrative. They are free to say what they think.
good for them. Now I wonder if any of this will ever be covered by the Mainstream Media….Not
Mr. Green “skyrocket” himself is still in charge! The EPA continues to kill jobs while the DOE continues to make fake jobs. It will take many years to recover from the damage done to the U.S. economy if a regime change is made in the next election. The damage will continue if no change is made.
“It’s time for a register of interests for science academics”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2012/apr/10/register-of-interests-science-academics
“Researchers can be as transparent about who funded their work as chefs are about rats behind the fridge, says Brian Deer”
In the Guardian
The letter should have been sent to mainstream media, as it will have no effect, since the Heads of NASA will throw it in the wastepaper basket. I think that we will find that mainstream politicians and parties, Universities and even prominent warmist climate scientists will start avoiding the AGW issue which will completely but discreetly disappear over time over the next 2 to 3 years. In the end its was ONLY the actual temp data that did it/will do it oops. We will then be left with Governments green agendas, Greenpeace etc… fighting about alternate energy sources, pollution, overpopulation city design etc which I certainly have no objection to etc. However they will no longer mention C02 induced global warming. It very hard to get these types of people to ever admit they were wrong totally BTW so sorry guys/gals we will only get a phyrric victory LOL
As someone has already said, as a kid I used to dream of working for NASA. Now I can hardly even look at the NASA website because you have to wade through all the PC sh*te before getting to what that once great organisation should be all about. Even then, the truly inspirational stuff, the stuff that inspires our youth to achieve greatness, is found aging away in the archives. NASA has largely replaced its hero astronaut, engineer and managerial staff with tedious bureaucrats with no dreams or vision. Is it any wonder NASA has atrophied and become a haven for charlatans the likes of Hansen.
Leo Morgan says: April 10, 2012 at 11:21 am
Okay Leo, we’ve been listening to Hansen spout his Catastrophic Anthropomorphic Global Warming rhetoric for nearly three decades now. Just how long do *YOU* suggest that we need to keep considering the same failed argument before we can finally reject it?
The CAWG hypothesis has had more than enough time to “prove” itself and yet the empirical data is still not supporting it. As far as I am concerned, with all the fail predictions / projections and the massaged / manipulated data we’ve seen from GISS (and others), it’s high time we finally called BS on Hansen, Gore, Mann and all the other “CAWG high priests” and move on.
The odd thing is keeping Hansen in post and in the public eye is actual a good idea for AGW skeptics given his ‘over the top’ maddness that works only with the AGW faithful but turns off most other people .
Has any MSM picked it up yet?
Get out! *
– to borrow a phrase from Elaine Benes, a character on Seinfeld, “the show about nothing”.
* Physical moments, Seinfeld show
.