nasa administrator questions global

NASA Administrator Questions Global Warming

In an interview this morning on NPR's morning news, NASA administrator

Michael Griffin, made some unpopular statements in reference to global

warming. He admits that science is relatively sure (80% from what I

understand) that the average global temperature has risen 1 degree in

the last 100 years, but to say we need to do something about it is to

make some rather careless assumptions. He also points out....even if

global warming was a problem we could address, its not the job of the

National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Read the interview below or listen to in the link above.

STEVE INSKEEP: One thing that's been mentioned that NASA is perhaps

not spending as much money as it could on is studying climate

change, global warming, from space. Are you concerned about global

warming?

MICHAEL GRIFFIN: I am aware that global warming -- I'm aware that

global warming exists. I understand that the bulk of scientific

evidence accumulated supports the claim that we've had about a one

degree centigrade rise in temperature over the last century to

within an accuracy of 20 percent. I'm also aware of recent findings

that appear to have nailed down -- pretty well nailed down the

conclusion that much of that is manmade. Whether that is a long

term concern or not, I can't say.

MR. INSKEEP : And I just wanted to make sure that I'm clear. Do you

have any doubt that this is a problem that mankind has to wrestle

with?

MR. GRIFFIN: I have no doubt that global -- 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. To assume that it is a problem is to

assume that the state of earth's climate today is the optimal

climate, the best climate that we could have or ever have had and

that we need to take steps to make sure that it doesn't change.

First of all, I don't think it's within the power of human beings

to assure that the climate does not change, as millions of years of

history have shown, and second of all, I guess 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.

MR. INSKEEP : Is that thinking that informs you as you put together

the budget? That something is happening, that it's worth studying,

but you're not sure that you want to be battling it as an army

might battle an enemy.

MR. GRIFFIN: Nowhere in NASA's authorization, which of course

governs what we do, is there anything at all telling us that we

should take actions to affect climate change in either one way or

another. We study global climate change, that is in our

authorization, we think we do it rather well. I'm proud of that,

but NASA is not an agency chartered to quote "battle climate

change."