May 31, 2007

NASA Chief Not Concerned About Global Warming

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I’ve always considered it arrogant of humankind to burn enough fossil fuel to kill off half the earth’s species. But the NASA chief would call me arrogant for judging. What’s really arrogant, he says, is assuming that climate change won’t be for the better. So NASA doesn’t prioritize studying climate change from space in its $17 billion budget.

NASA Administrator Michael Griffin, a Bush appointee, tells NPR:

I have no doubt that…a trend of global warming exists. I am not sure that it is fair to say that it is a problem we must wrestle with…. I would ask which human beings—where and when—are to be accorded the privilege of deciding that this particular climate that we have right here today, right now is the best climate for all other human beings. I think that’s a rather arrogant position for people to take.

Right. Why won’t future generations be better off after the sixth great extinction? What’s wrong with displacing 1 billion of the world’s poorest people? Who are we to judge?

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We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

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