American Geophysical Union statement on science, shutdown

The American Geophysical Union has gone on record as opposing the unconscionable Republican budget cuts, and particularly their impact on scientific research in the United States.

Here's the statement:

AGU Reacts to Threats and Opportunities in FY 11/12 Budget Proposals

Here's the call to contact Senators, with summaries of the BAD impacts:

Contact your Senators regarding science cuts

Here's some of the reasons why the AGU is appalled, because the Tea Party continuing resolution does this, amongst other travesties:

• Prohibiting the use of funds for contributions to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) (see Scientists Criticize House Vote to Bar Climate Panel Funds)



• Prohibiting the use of funds to implement, establish, or create a NOAA Climate Service


• Further reducing NASA's budget $298 million


• Eliminating funding for President Obama's energy and climate advisor and for the State Department's climate envoy to international climate negotiations


• Prohibiting the EPA from using funds to implement, administer, or enforce any regulation pertaining to greenhouse gas emissions

When you look at what they've cut, they even zeroed out the Joint Polar Satellite System, NOAA's next-gen polar observing satellite system (this is what NPOESS turned into). OK, yes, NPOESS has been a budgetary disaster, but we still need regular observations of the atmosphere and oceans. For one fricking example, the polar satellites are what give us sea surface temperatures, and these can help indicate when hurricanes might intensify (and where).

Oh, and they also monitor sea ice extent. Given that the Arctic sea ice is truly the Earth's climate's best canary in the coal mine, I can see why the Tea Party know-nothings want to keep the rest of us ignorant about that. Because it's hard to deny the disappearing sea ice, which is why so many skeptical, er, denialist Web sites are doing just that.

This is madness. Simply, simply madness.