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Inaction on climate dims space future
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/opinion/os-ed-climate-change-nasa-rick-scott-20160406-story.htmlWith a dynamic commercial industry set to resume U.S. manned spaceflights as soon as next year, optimism for a new golden age on Florida's Space Coast is growing. As the Sentinel's Marco Santana recently reported, two companies — Boeing and SpaceX — could be launching astronauts to the International Space Station from the coast by the end of 2017. Other companies are eager to follow.
But that revival, to be rejoined in later years by NASA with a new generation of human spaceflight vehicles, faces a long-term threat: climate change. Scientists warn that warming global temperatures will continue to raise sea levels and intensify storms. Both impacts could imperil billions of dollars worth of launchpads and other space-related infrastructure at Kennedy Space Center and other NASA facilities on low-lying coastal property — a risk the space agency has been eyeing since 2007, according to a report this week in The New York Times.
In contrast to NASA, Florida Gov. Rick Scott still seems to be closing his eyes to climate change. Last year several former state Department of Environmental Protection employees said they had been told not to even use the term. While Scott disputed those claims, he has failed to do anything to suggest he takes climate change seriously.
Instead, Scott has rolled back initiatives on the issue from his predecessor, Charlie Crist. When challenged on climate change, Scott has cited state spending on flood control and beach renourishment as proof he's doing something about rising sea levels. But that reactive approach is treating the symptoms of climate change, not confronting the causes. Meanwhile, the governor has dodged direct questions about climate change by saying, "I'm not a scientist."
But that revival, to be rejoined in later years by NASA with a new generation of human spaceflight vehicles, faces a long-term threat: climate change. Scientists warn that warming global temperatures will continue to raise sea levels and intensify storms. Both impacts could imperil billions of dollars worth of launchpads and other space-related infrastructure at Kennedy Space Center and other NASA facilities on low-lying coastal property — a risk the space agency has been eyeing since 2007, according to a report this week in The New York Times.
In contrast to NASA, Florida Gov. Rick Scott still seems to be closing his eyes to climate change. Last year several former state Department of Environmental Protection employees said they had been told not to even use the term. While Scott disputed those claims, he has failed to do anything to suggest he takes climate change seriously.
Instead, Scott has rolled back initiatives on the issue from his predecessor, Charlie Crist. When challenged on climate change, Scott has cited state spending on flood control and beach renourishment as proof he's doing something about rising sea levels. But that reactive approach is treating the symptoms of climate change, not confronting the causes. Meanwhile, the governor has dodged direct questions about climate change by saying, "I'm not a scientist."
This from one of the most conservative rags in the land!
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