How reassuring. Guess we don't have to worry about ocean acidification either. -G Former spaceflight issues upset with NASA's climate stance By Eric Berger Published 10:08 p.m., Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Four dozen former NASA astronauts, engineers and scientists have written a letter to the space agency decrying its advocacy of "catastrophic" climate change. "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," states the letter, addressed to administrator Charles Bolden<http://www.chron.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news%2Fhouston-texas&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Charles+Bolden%22>. "We request that NASA refrain from including unproven and unsupported remarks in its future releases and websites on this subject." Among the signatories are seven Apollo astronauts, including Harrison "Jack" Schmitt and Walt Cunningham<http://www.chron.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news%2Fhouston-texas&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Walt+Cunningham%22>, and two former directors of Johnson Space Center<http://www.chron.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news%2Fhouston-texas&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Johnson+Space+Center%22>. Although not explicitly named in their letter, the 49 signatories are unhappy with the outspoken head of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies<http://www.chron.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news%2Fhouston-texas&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Goddard+Institute+for+Space+Studies%22>, James Hansen<http://www.chron.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news%2Fhouston-texas&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22James+Hansen%22>, who is one of the world's most prominent climate scientists. "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," the letter states. Hansen has a history of making provocative statements about climate change, most recently citing climate change as a moral issue on par with slavery. In response the space agency encouraged the climate skeptics to join the debate in peer-reviewed scientific literature and public forums. "NASA sponsors research into many areas of cutting-edge scientific inquiry, including the relationship between carbon dioxide and climate," NASA Chief Scientist Waleed Abdalati<http://www.chron.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news%2Fhouston-texas&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Waleed+Abdalati%22> said in response to the letter. "As an agency, NASA does not draw conclusions and issue 'claims' about research findings. We support open scientific inquiry and discussion." In addition to supporting the climate modeling done by Hansen's<http://www.chron.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news%2Fhouston-texas&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Hansen%27s%22> institute, NASA provides many of the satellites that collect data about the planet that scientists use to understand how greenhouse gases are changing the climate. Most of the 49 signatories worked professionally at Johnson Space Center during the Apollo era or during the start-up phase of the space shuttle program. Few of them are active research scientists or hold degrees in atmospheric sciences or fields related to climate change. [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "geoengineering" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/geoengineering?hl=en.
