Fighting global warming from space

Hillary lays out science proposals

Posted by Maywa Montenegro (Guest Contributor) at 3:58 PM on 04 Oct 2007

Today, in an address to the Carnegie Institution for Science (timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Sputnik), Hillary rolled out her science agenda. After some strong rebukes to the Bush administration for its "war on science," she offered this course of action:

Expand human and robotic space exploration and speed development of vehicles to would replace the space shuttle.

Launch a space-based climate change initiative to combat global warming.

Create a $50-billion strategic energy fund to research ways to boost energy efficiency and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

Comply with a legal requirement that the executive branch issue a national assessment on climate change every four years. She would also expand the assessment to reflect how U.S. regions and economic sectors are responding to the challenges posed by climate change.

Name an assistant to the president for science and technology, a position that was eliminated in the Bush White House.

Re-establish the Office of Technology Assessment.

Sounds pretty good, even if it's disconcerting that the space-based climate change initiative appears higher up than boosting energy efficiency. Let's hope that was just a hat tip to Sputnik.

For story: Fighting global warming from space
10 Comments | Post a Comment

Me, I'm waiting ...

... for a laser-based climate change initiative.

grist.org

by David Roberts at 3:59 PM on 04 Oct 2007

Millions of spinning saucers shading the Earth?

by sunflower at 4:10 PM on 04 Oct 2007

Yawn, next please......

Expand human and robotic space exploration and speed development of vehicles to would replace the space shuttle.

As much as I love the idea of space exploration this isn't anything more than a beefy bone to the aerospace industry.

Launch a space-based climate change initiative to combat global warming.

Climate change can be studied from space but not solved. Every launch dumps enourmous amounts of pollutants into the upper atmosphere. We cant't look for solutions from NASA only better descriptions of the problem.

Create a $50-billion strategic energy fund to research ways to boost energy efficiency and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

This $50 billion would be far better spent leveraging the installation of existing technologies. There are power generation technologies as well as power saving technologies that need only a little leverage for wide acceptance. Solar-thermal, and geothermal power generation and geo-exchange HVAC systems are the most obvious of these. The "further research needed" excuse is one we've been hearing from the current government that is connected to the coal, oil, and natural gas industries. "Further research" is a scam to delay implementation of solutions.

Put the Carbon Back

by Pangolin at 9:50 PM on 04 Oct 2007

Anything with a laser in it

has tremendous appeal to me.

In the end, it all comes down to biodiversity. Poison Darts--Protecting the biodiversity of our world

by biodiversivist at 10:41 PM on 04 Oct 2007

re: biodiversivist

I second that. grin

And hey, since it's space-based, if the aliens attack, we can just flip it around, and we'll have our first line of defense.

More seriously, I do think more funding for space exploration is the best thing we can do for our environment in the long term. It won't stop climate change in the short term. I wouldn't mind hearing more about Hillary's "space-based climate change initiative," but I'm not denying Pangolin's point until I do. But sooner or later, there are going to be more people than any amount of energy and land efficiency--or even population control--will allow this planet to support. All signs seem to be pointing to sooner rather than later. When it reaches the breaking point--when the question becomes not "do we cut down the rainforest?," but "do we cut it down for farmland or for more homes, because leveling all of it won't fill our need for either"--if the space program hasn't advanced several generations beyond its current level, where are all these people going to go?

by Pathos at 11:23 PM on 04 Oct 2007

The details

Here's the complete text. It's still not clear what the space-based climate change initiative might be. This is in addition to restoring the Earth Science program sats, so I assume it must refer to Triana and other sats not presently on NASA's official wish list. But I'm sure her press office would respond with the info.

Bush is of course mentioned by name a number of times, Bush Sr. and Bill C. once each (in reference to the past role of the science advisor), and just one other person. Guess who.

by Steve Bloom at 1:26 AM on 05 Oct 2007

Overshoot.

The worlds population cannot grow exponentially forever or even for much longer. Space may be a place for man to explore or even colonize but we could never physically export enough of the human population to balance new births. That would be if we had someplace to put them.

We have to solve our problems at home or we will overshoot our carrying capacity and suffer a die-off. Ask somebody who's good at math to explain this to you or read this here

Another perspective here

Put the Carbon Back

by Pangolin at 5:22 AM on 05 Oct 2007
[ Parent ]

BioTechnology Can Solve Polution

The worlds population cannot grow exponentially forever or even for much longer. Space may be a place for man to explore or even colonize but we could never physically export enough of the human population to balance new births.

Right...or, we can get Rajiv Patel and Jackie Selebi to keep it in their pants and start reducing our population.

by jabailo at 9:48 AM on 05 Oct 2007

The Time Has Come

if the space program hasn't advanced several generations beyond its current level, where are all these people going to go?
------------
We have existing technology that is more than adequate to bomb the earth with condoms. We don't need more research to do this - only the will. Until environmentalists realize that the true path is only known by dollowing public policy pollsters dedicated to educating foundations about why they are the ones who should get the big bucks, we will continue to see the earth suffer the death of the thousand blogs. One blog at a time may not be injurious - but a thousand?!?!? How much longer can the Earth endure? Surely it is time to embark on a new vessel to carry us in a different direction on our journey. Etc. & Etc.

Steve E. Whidbey Environmental Action Network

by paintbrush at 1:22 PM on 05 Oct 2007

Typo correction

Oops. not
dollowing public policy pollsters

but
following public policy pollsters

Steve E. Whidbey Environmental Action Network

by paintbrush at 1:23 PM on 05 Oct 2007

ADVERTISING POLICY

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