Global climate change is science, not politics. But, it has been turned into a political issue, an issue in which people are encouraged to take sides, as if it were a matter of opinion and not fact. A tool to divide us, to keep us from unifying. A unified people is powerful, after all.
Now, the Republicans, fueled by the "mandate" from the recent elections, are looking to reduce the outflow of cash. One of their solutions: cut funding to NASA's climate change research and redirect it toward "human spaceflight."
It has been suggested that this is an attempt to milk the planet for all its worth and then leave it. The letter, signed by Senate Republicans, has been dubbed Abandon Earth.
Look, I am an avid Star Trek fan. Since I was a little girl watching Kirk and Spock on my little black and white tv I dreamed of spaceflight, of a time when flying through space would be as common place as driving across town.
Then I grew up and I came to understand something: space is big. HUGE.
We've been at this space flight thing for several decades now and have yet to man anything past our own moon, and have yet to send any probes into space beyond our solar system. What about Mars or the Moon? If we can survive on Mars in domes, we can survive on Earth in domes. There are no planets out there that will sustain us naturally, and by no, I mean none that we will ever reach. Because space is... Hu-fookin-mongous!!!
Abandon Earth? More like abandon reason and hope.
This is one more reason we need to each, individually, do what we can in our own lives to make the planet as healthy as she can be, and to send a message collectively with what we buy and how we vote that we do not want to abandon our problems but fix them. We need to accept that there is no easy fix, and there is no escape. The future we need to work towards is right here, and only here.
I like the zero-g kitty.
ReplyDeleteOk, just read through the linked "Abandon Earth" memo. I agree that it is ridiculous to legislate NASA and to "refocus" its mission back on it core mission. NASA is a science organization filled with scientists dedicated to exploring space...if they deem the best way to spend the money allocated to do that does not included manned space flight, why are the law makers getting involved?
ReplyDeleteTo me, what's more disturbing is the first line in the second paragraph, "Our nation is the preeminent space power in the world." THAT is the train of thought that needs to be altered. Space, precisely space exploration, would be best carried out, to include the allocation of funds, as a global organization. We need to set up an organization of EVERYONE that is interested in space exploration, as a collaborative effort, to harness the smarts and funds required to get the job done. There are no borders in space, there are relatively very few places to plant flags. It is in the best interest of HUMANITY to work together on this one...be damned who does it first...
"Space, precisely space exploration, would be best carried out, to include the allocation of funds, as a global organization."
ReplyDeleteYou know, I was actually just coming back to edit the blog,. sure no one had read it yet :p Was going to reference Star Trek again to say that while manned spaceflight is an excellent idea, even if we will likely never leave this solar system, if we were to use Star Trek as a model,. they were only able to achieve the society in space by working together. (We'll just ignore that Zephram Cochrane discovered warp drive so he could get rich lol). It is only through collective cooperation that we will ever achieve the greatest, most wildly ambitious goals. The Republican politicians seem to have a hard time grasping that concept.
I'd love to eloquently comment with something hopeful, but I can't. I'm sorry. I won't stop trying to do my part and encouraging others to do theirs, but I very much think the ship has sailed and it's all downhill from a few years ago. I hope I'm wrong. I really do.
ReplyDeleteWell, I do agree that the powers that be are working against us. Sometimes I wonder if they think they are super-human, or if their money will save them. You can't breath money, you can't eat or drink money, and it doesn't burn long. They are short-sighted, greedy fools. It is very discouraging. But I do think it's important to let them know that at least a portion of the population sees through their bullshit and is doing all they can to get the word out.
ReplyDeleteNever give up. Never surrender! lol :p
"By Grapthar's Hammer!"
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