After years cutting of budgets for tracking global warming, President Bush on Monday proposed more than a $1 billion increase over the next five years for launching more and better Earth-observing satellites. The president's 2009 budget provides money for six new NASA satellites to watch Earth's changes, costing at least $910 million over the next five years. It also calls for an increase of more than $200 million for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's weather satellites and climate monitoring, including restoration of key instruments that had been cut from a troubled and delayed weather satellite.
NASA had not approved a new Earth sciences mission in four years and the number of NASA Earth-observing satellites either in orbit or in the pipeline had dropped from 26 in 2004 to 21 last month.
A critical report last year by the National Academy of Sciences contended the government was unprepared for collecting vital information about global warming. It noted that NASA's Earth sciences research budget had been effectively cut by 30 percent since 2000 and the report prompted changes in the government's Earth observing plans, officials said.
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"This is the right time for Earth observations," said White House science adviser Jack Marburger. "Everyone's concerned about climate change."
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Yeah, Jack, and you have all been
so concerned and on top of this issue.
Asshole.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2004163492_apbudgetearthwatch04.html