NYT: NASA’s Goals Delete Mention of Understanding, Protecting Home Planet

[DeepModem Mom]

NASA’s Goals Delete Mention of Home Planet
By ANDREW C. REVKIN
Published: July 22, 2006

From 2002 until this year, NASA’s mission statement, prominently featured in its budget and planning documents, read: “To understand and protect our home planet; to explore the universe and search for life; to inspire the next generation of explorers ... as only NASA can.”

In early February, the statement was quietly altered, with the phrase “to understand and protect our home planet” deleted. In this year’s budget and planning documents, the agency’s mission is “to pioneer the future in space exploration, scientific discovery and aeronautics research.”

David E. Steitz, a spokesman for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, said the aim was to square the statement with President Bush’s goal of pursuing human spaceflight to the Moon and Mars.

But the change comes as an unwelcome surprise to many NASA scientists, who say the “understand and protect” phrase was not merely window dressing but actively influenced the shaping and execution of research priorities. Without it, these scientists say, there will be far less incentive to pursue projects to improve understanding of terrestrial problems like climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions.

“We refer to the mission statement in all our research proposals that go out for peer review, whenever we have strategy meetings,” said Philip B. Russell, a 25-year NASA veteran who is an atmospheric chemist at the Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif. “As civil servants, we’re paid to carry out NASA’s mission. When there was that very easy-to-understand statement that our job is to protect the planet, that made it much easier to justify this kind of work.”...

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/22/science/22nasa.html?ei=5094&en=4c32c0e6762ea90b&hp=&ex=1153540800&adxnnl=1&partner=homepage&adxnnlx=1153540011-0p2hyhqYMZXtUB1tCMrlpg

[IChing]

1. Sad, the republicans are taking science back to the Stone Ages

This did not come from science but
from republican anti-science thought,

6000 years is too long for these dinosaurs.

The earth does not revolve around them
and neither does the sun.
(though they think it does)


“As civil servants, we’re paid to carry out NASA’s mission. When there was that very easy-to-understand statement that our job is to protect the planet, that made it much easier to justify this kind of work.”... Sad quote from the article.

[Ian David]

3. We might not be able to blame this one on Bush...

NASA may have been infiltrated by by agents of Planet Xenu.

[alfredo]

6. Not anymore. They've been replaced by the Pthun

of planet Nxxut. They work cheap and don't complain.

[mark11727]

34. But there's all that weird music, and smelly cooking...!

...and the Nxxutians don't even speak Murkan. :evilgrin:

[alfredo]

38. On the upside, they find giving

telepathic sexual pleasure their duty. It's made watching the local news a lot more fun, especially when the uptight weather girl starts grinding while giving the seven day forecast.
I guess you figured out that they have a twisted sense of humor.

[Mugsy]

29. It's not the "science" part, they deleted "understanding".

You've got to wonder about the agenda of someone that wanted the phrase "To understand and protect our home planet" removed from the Mission Statement.

"Understand the planet" sounds too much like "understanding of others". Pshaw! And that environmentalist "protect the planet" hooey has GOT to go!

:grr:

[erknm]

52. Not taking it back, just ignoring it

I do not want to appear to be insensitive to those who are suffering in one of the various wars currently being conducted, but from a macro perspective, W and his ilk will do far more harm to more people by ignoring the environment, although he will likely be long gone when payment comes due.

We can all help, by cleaning up our own behavior. Then vote for sensible, responsible environmental management solutions. It is possible to support humanity and protect the environment. While W is certainly hurting the cause, this is no reason for us to individually give up.

Drive less, maintain your cars better. Use zero GHG energy, i.e. nuclear, hydro, wind, tidal. Don't use chemicals to care for your lawn. Plant water miser landscaping. Recycle, everything. These are things we can do to try to offset the fact that our president thinks so little about the planet.

FH

[Ready4Change]

2. Can't afford those things. n/t

[htuttle]

4. One day, Planetary Treason will be the worst crime a person can commit

...and the Bush administration's actions will probably serve as the model for it.

[daleo]

5. All the better to ignore global warming

Chimp science just isn't good enough.

[lapfog_1]

7. The entire "manned mission to mars"

for the Bush admin, is simply a smokescreen. The real objective was to de-fund the MTPE.

While simultaneously saying that issues such as Global Warming and Climate change "need more study" the plan was/is to de-fund those very studies.

Changing the mission stmt for the agency merely reflects this.

One more crime that I hope he answers for someday.

[IChing]

8. Check out what they are doing access to satelites on global issues

for scientist to look at



They shutting down the program........

[lapfog_1]

9. Yeah, I know

I used to work for that program (EOSDIS, DAO).

oh well.

[Dudley_DUright]

45. Check out what happened to the "Mission to Planet Earth" website

You get redirected to a generic "Science at NASA" website.

http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/mtpe/

(Any bets how long "Science at NASA" will last? With this crowd, next it will be "faith based space exploration")

[intheflow]

10. K&R'd

Just how do the neocons think their money will protect them when there is no more home planet? :banghead:

[tabasco]

24. They think they will survive.

And have even bigger ranches when the masses die off.

[kestrel91316]

30. The rich will just go live on the Mars Colony, silly.

It will be paradise. We'll just terraform it.

[TwentyFive]

42. All neocons will be raptured.

or at least, that's what the little feeble minds think.

[nxylas]

49. Got it in one

To the Repugs, the worst-case scenarios put forward by scientists simply CAN'T come true, because that would conflict with the way the Left Behind novels say the world will end. I mean, who are you going to believe on climate change, a climatologist or a theologian?

[Canuckistanian]

11. What about those evil space terrorists?

And I'm sure NASA even fought to have the "scientific discovery" phrase left in.

[opihimoimoi]

12. If the Home Planet suffers,we all suffer. FIX Le HOME PLANET, a no brainer

[YankeyMCC]

13. Kick...

You'll be hard pressed to find someone more interested and excited about manned space exploration...however even I recognize the necessary priority studying our own planet is and that NASA is probably better at that than manned space anyway.

To those that scoff at the idea of 'terraforming' I say...just watch we'll turn Earth into Venus in no time. :) :(

[kestrel91316]

31. Well, that would be "venuforming", don't you think?

[YankeyMCC]

36. Something like that

[SpiralHawk]

14. Why do republicons hate their children?

Why do they want to leave a legacy of a savaged planet to their children and grandchildren?

[Demeter]

21. They Hate EVERYONE--Truly Non-Discriminatory

I don't think they even like themselves, most days.

[onehandle]

15. Changed to reflect Corporation's hatred of Regulation.

Also squared with the goals of Bush and the corporations that own him.

[screenplaya]

16. What a bunch of manipulators.

With all the crap going on in the world (and at NASA), who had the time to contemplate with this manipulative edit? Didn't Bush appoint some kid barely out of college to do his NASA dirty work?

[DeepModem Mom]

17. Thanks for posting, screenplaya -- and welcome to DU!

[Guaranteed]

19. Great post. Welcome! nt

[Vidar]

18. There is nothing this evil regime doesn't seek to corrupt.

[Demeter]

20. Upping the Exploitation Flag

The Jolly Roger (should be renamed the Jolly George).

[Botany]

22. I have family that works for NASA

* is really screwing up that place big time. Some of the best scientists and engineers in the
world worked there or did and his "mission to mars," has zero chance to work but a 100%
chance to wreck NASA.

I once asked Sister in law and her friends from NASA even if we could build a "moon base,"
then supply it with all the needed materials, build a lunching pad there, and build a rocket ship
on the moon that could fly to mars land some men there and return to the moon base with the
people (about 12 month trip) what about fuel for the rocket ship? All these REALLY SMART people
started laughing ..... and one said that is a little problem. But sadly with that unelected asshole being
President his "boy wonder" comic book ideas have to be given time and money.

[NewHampshireDem]

23. I also wonder what effect this will have on the NEO program

Not that I think we are likely to see a planet-destroying asteroid anytime soon, but I'd sure like to know that should there be one out there 1. we find it and 2. we are prepared to divert it--especially since we don't really know what Apophis will do after 2029.

http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/

[BentleyJD]

25. It' s simple.....

Bushbaby wants to kill us all (excluding billionaire fat cats>)

[Wise Doubter]

26. “to understand and protect our home planet”

Not so much as from what, but from whom ?


http://www.thegodmovie.com/

[emmadoggy]

27. Soooo, Shrubby's plan is that we don't worry about trashing

this planet - the one we have ALWAYS lived on and that we KNOW can support life - and just try to figure out a way for everyone to move to Mars?? Yeeeaahhhh. Good plan, Georgie! :crazy: :banghead:

[The Wielding Truth]

47. We evolved to survive on Earth. Why throw away our world for one were

we cannot survive without extreme measures,and may not be able to sustain human life for generations. A Space station makes sense, but again it takes an informed base of long involved space scientists and engineers and biologists.I don't see any well studied unselfish progress coming from Federal government under Republican leadership.

[Joe Bacon]

28. Hey, Chucklenuts is getting ready for THE BIG FLOAT OFF!

That ass really believes that JC is gonna rapture him and his rich white Republicans friends in a week or 2. Remember that 90% of the Republicans in Congress believe this fairy tale too!

They're in for a shock...

[Uncle Joe]

41. I don't believe Bush or the neocons have real faith,

if they did, they would not be so afraid of science and the attempt at understanding how our world works. If they had a real faith in god or a creator of this planet,they would think twice or more about trashing it, as if it was an open sewer.

I believe, they believe we are headed for a climatic catastrophe and their goal is to dumb the people down with disinformation until it's too late. I believe they are gambling on the rich and powerful surviving this and ruling over what's left of the people in a pre-Magna Carta fashion after society collapses, and their true idea of humanity is as if we are locusts and we will move on to another planet after this one is wasted.

[go west young man]

32. Bush's plan to go back to the moon is another case

of bankrupting the system with a screwed up agenda in order to make it fall apart. Like no child left behind, social security, or prescription drugs. Earlier in the administration they had a lying fraud as spokesman at NASA attempting to shut Dr.Hansen up and now they have a Director who changes the mission statement so global warming as an issue for them will go away. Check out the new directors page at Wikipedia and you can see why he is so friendly with Bush. Work for the CIA and The Strategic Arms Institute. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D._Griffin One more Bushite who can't be trusted with our tax dollars.

[go west young man]

33. Also an article here that illustrates my point.

Massive budget cuts and confusion designed to make the whole space program a mess. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/01/AR2006040100022.html

[IndyBob]

35. Preparing for Rapture

Why worry about things in the future when God's gonna rapture us anyway? In the meantime, don't do anything that will affect my portfolio.

:crazy:

[mcscajun]

37. It makes perfect sense. Really.

It does...:sarcasm:
Let's go exploring with Fucking BLINDERS ON!!!

Hamstring science, put the cart before the horse, and make sure that horse can see in only One Direction: Your chosen political direction. It's a recipe for disaster if there ever was one.

Expanding knowledge = Bad
Restricting knowledge = Good

I feel like Gimli speaking of Saruman: "The words of this wizard (Bush) stand on their heads. In the language of Orthanc (his White House) help means ruin and saving means slaying, that is plain."

[General Paranoia]

39. Hidden behind the headline is another fundy wish

The original statement was:

"To understand and protect our home planet; to explore the universe and search for life; to inspire the next generation of explorers ... as only NASA can"

It was replaced with:
"to pioneer the future in space exploration, scientific discovery and aeronautics research.”

Looks to me like they also took out "search for life". I think the Martian blueberries were hitting way too close to home.
Any bets the follow on probes that can actually detect life will start having funding problems?:mad:

There is increasing evidence of life on Mars and NASA seems to be doing everything possible to avoid noticing. Hopefully the ESA will be able to make the discovery of the millennium.

[VegasWolf]

40. Gawd will take care of the environment. After all, he made the planet

just a few years ago.

:puke:

[Mountainman]

43. There is nothing to be proud of anymore in this government.

Growing up it was cool to learn about the things NASA was doing. Now like all of the government under the repukes, it is only in existence to further right wing and corporate goals. The right wing has to be the most selfish and self centered group of ass holes ever to come along in man's history.

[Dudley_DUright]

44. Cheney really is an alien lizard bent on world domination

Those lizards like it hot.



(hat tip to Swamp Rat)

[Blue_Tires]

46. and the downward spiral continues

for what was once america's proudest organization

[bobthedrummer]

48. Former neo-con USAF General Simon Worden (Office of Strategic Influence)

got to head the Ames NASA facility after "retirement".
Do a search on his background-it's BFEE.

What's more, he's got the largest supercomputer in NASA plus all those space based "projects" that used to be the preserve of the US Space Command.

What a "coincidence".

[teryang]

50. Stalinism in action

Climate change is a just a political problem for the corporate masters, so the agency riddled with reality based scientists and engineers needs to gagged and directed elsewhere.

[nealmhughes]

51. Evidently the splendor of Kolob would blind us.