Budgets Imperil Environmental Satellites

[NVMojo]

Great ...now the Bush administration really can keep is in the dark like mushrooms about global warming impacts ...

March 5, 2006

Budget cuts and poor management may be jeopardizing the future of our eyes in orbit - America's fleet of environmental satellites, vital tools for forecasting hurricanes, protecting water supplies and predicting global warming.

"The system of environmental satellites is at risk of collapse," said Richard A. Anthes, president of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research. "Every year that goes by without the system being addressed is a problem."

Anthes chairs a National Academy of Sciences committee that advises the federal government on developing and operating environmental satellites. In a report issued last year, the committee warned that "the vitality of Earth science and application programs has been placed at substantial risk by a rapidly shrinking budget."

Since that report came out, NASA has chosen to cancel or mothball at least three planned satellites in an effort to save money. Cost overruns have delayed a new generation of weather satellites until at least 2010 and probably 2012, leading a Government Accountability Office official to label the enterprise "a program in crisis."

more...

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/tech/2006/mar/05/030501345.html

[NVMojo]

1. ...and more ...

NET Joins State Attorneys General in Asking Supreme Court to Review EPA Decision to Ignore Global Warming

3/3/2006 10:56:00 AM


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To: National Desk, Environmental Reporter

Contact: Brandon MacGillis of National Environmental Trust, 202-887-8833 or 202-320-9448

WASHINGTON, March 3 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Today the National Environmental Trust joined with Massachusetts Attorney General Tom Reilly and 11 other states, three major metropolitan cities, one island government and several environmental groups in a historic Supreme Court challenge of the Environmental Protection Agency's refusal to acknowledge greenhouse gases as air pollution.

The coalition is asking the court to review a decision issued last year by the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, in Commonwealth of Massachusetts vs. EPA. That ruling affirmed the EPA's refusal to regulate global warming pollution from motor vehicles. The Appeals Court decision effectively ruled that declaring greenhouse gases as "pollution" would be too political.

"The lower court's blatant punting on global warming is a travesty. Despite the plain and simple language of the law the lower court refused to act," said John Stanton, vice president for the National Environmental Trust. "It's time for the nation's highest court to correct the lower court and take on global warming."

more...

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=61811

[kestrel91316]

2. This is deliberate, you realize?

[Up2Late]

3. But don't you realize, if we don't know about the problem, it doesn't...

...really exist! Just like Katrina. :crazy:

This isn't just retarded, this is retrograde. I really think they are trying to take this country back to the "good ol' days" of the 1920's. They must want to see if they can avoid that 1929 Stock Market crash this time.

[PhilipShore]

4. AP: Environmental satellite fleet 'at substantial risk'

AP
Environmental satellite fleet 'at substantial risk'
March 6, 2006

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nationworld/bal-te.satellites06mar06,0,1951526.story?coll=bal-nationworld-headlines

Programs threatened by cuts and mismanagement, experts say

Budget cuts and poor management might be jeopardizing the future of our eyes in orbit - America's fleet of environmental satellites, vital tools for forecasting hurricanes, protecting water supplies and predicting global warming.

"The system of environmental satellites is at risk of collapse," said Richard A. Anthes, president of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research. "Every year that goes by without the system being addressed is a problem."

Anthes is chairman of a National Academy of Sciences committee that advises the federal government on developing and operating environmental satellites. In a report issued last year, the committee warned that "the vitality of Earth science and application programs has been placed at substantial risk by a rapidly shrinking budget."

[HuffleClaw]

5. 'Let's burn down the observatory so this never happens again!'

some smart democrat should point out that those dreaded hurricanes might be harder to predict without them. bushco. is once again endangering lives.

[UpInArms]

6. (NASA) Budgets Imperil Environmental Satellites

http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/247-03052006-621728.html

Budget cuts and poor management may be jeopardizing the future of our eyes in orbit - America's fleet of environmental satellites, vital tools for forecasting hurricanes, protecting water supplies and predicting global warming.

"The system of environmental satellites is at risk of collapse," said Richard A. Anthes, president of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research. "Every year that goes by without the system being addressed is a problem."

Anthes chairs a National Academy of Sciences committee that advises the federal government on developing and operating environmental satellites. In a report issued last year, the committee warned that "the vitality of Earth science and application programs has been placed at substantial risk by a rapidly shrinking budget."

Since that report came out, NASA has chosen to cancel or mothball at least three planned satellites in an effort to save money. Cost overruns have delayed a new generation of weather satellites until at least 2010 and probably 2012, leading a Government Accountability Office official to label the enterprise "a program in crisis."

<snip>

NASA officials say that tight budgets tie their hands, forcing them to cut all but the most vital programs. The agency's proposed 2007 budget request contains $2.2 billion for satellites that observe the Earth and sun, compared to $6.2 billion for operating the space shuttle and International Space Station and $4 billion for developing future missions to the moon and Mars.

...more...

[leftyladyfrommo]

7. Well, all that money is going to Iraq

And environmental concerns aren't exactly a top priority with this adm. The less they know the happier they are.

[boise1]

8. "GPS to be replaced with much less expensive 'Compass' system"