49 NASA Scientists Dispute 'Climate Change'

Taking the Agency to Task for Activist Stance


January 7th, 2010 NASA photo shows Great Britian covered with a blanket of snow.

In a letter to Nasa administrator Charles Bolden, 49 former NASA scientists and asronauts, including Charlie Duke, Al Worden, Richard Gordon and Walter Cunningham question the agency's activist stance on 'global warming:'

"We, the undersigned, respectfully request that NASA and the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) refrain from including unproven remarks in public releases and websites. We believe the claims by NASA and GISS, that man-made carbon dioxide is having a catastrophic impact on global climate change are not substantiated, especially when considering thousands of years of empirical data. With hundreds of well-known climate scientists and tens of thousands of other scientists publicly declaring their disbelief in the catastrophic forecasts, coming particularly from the GISS leadership, it is clear that the science is NOT settled."

The Record of Ignoring Empirical Evidence [click to read] is explained further in Business Insider. The full text of the letter is included as well. NASA has long held the reputation of supporting open investigation and avoiding promoting extreme positions but the letter warns:

"As former NASA employees, we feel that NASA’s advocacy of an extreme position, prior to a thorough study of the possible overwhelming impact of natural climate drivers is inappropriate. We request that NASA refrain from including unproven and unsupported remarks in its future releases and websites on this subject. At risk is damage to the exemplary reputation of NASA, NASA’s current or former scientists and employees, and even the reputation of science itself."

David Coppedge, a former computer specialist with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, was terminated by the agency. A wrongful termination lawsuit now being argued asserts that Coppeddge was terminated for his interest in, and advocacy of the theory of intelligent design.

This Article [click to read] in the San Jose Mercury News raises further speculation as to whether the agency actually adheres to a rather strict narrative rather than encourage open inquiry. The Journey [click to read] has inquired before into the bias against intelligent design in the academy.