NASA's Great Global Warming White-Out

Issue #213
June 7, 2007
NASA's Great Global Warming White-Out
Josh Dorner

As if his idiotic statements about global warming last week on NPR weren't quite enough, we got more hot air this week from NASA Administrator Michael Griffin.

First, Griffin reprised a tried (tired?) and true Beltway tactic of simply blaming the media for reporting the stupid things that stupid people say. I mean, how dare they report controversial comments on matters of pressing global concern from individuals at the highest levels of government!? The nerve of those uppity do-gooders at NPR!

Second, Griffin tried to "clarify" his remarks by pointing to NASA's mission statement, commenting "It is not NASA's mission to make policy regarding possible climate change mitigation strategies." What he conveniently forgot to mention is that NASA's mission statement used to include the sentence "[t]o understand and protect our home planet." That line was often cited by the preeminent climate scientist Dr. James Hansen as the rationale for his important work on global warming -- the same work that NASA officials repeatedly tried to stifle or suppress.

And how exactly was that part of NASA's mission sent the way of the glaciers you ask? Why, it was quietly removed in February 2006 on the orders of none other than…wait for it…NASA Administrator Michael Griffin! Ohhh, sneaky that one!

Finally, the administration went 3-for-3 by announcing that it was pulling the funding for a badly-needed new set of satellites to monitor the Earth's changing climate. Instead, we'll have to rely on data from Europe. (You know, the same Europeans whose climate deal we torpedoed at the G-8 this week).

Next thing you know, the EPA's going to justify itself by following Stephen Colbert's advice and removing the words "Environmental" and "Protection" from its name. (Video here.)