Would Vice President Cheney block research that

could definitively address the issue of the cause

of climate change?

 

 

Nachrichten, Switzerland

Climate Change Solution: Shoot Cheney into Space

 

"A satellite that would remain stationary 930,000 miles away from earth, in between the earth and the sun, could measure the energy being radiated by the sun and the amount of solar radiation being reflected off the earth. This data, according to climate-change deniers, has been too imprecise up to now. Apparently, it was Dick Cheney who has tried to kill this instrument that promises to bring clarity to the climate controversy."

 

By Patrik Etschmayer

 

Translated By Patrik Etschmayer

 

December 8, 2008

 

Switzerland - Nachrichten - Original Article (German)

Vice President Dick Cheney: Preventing the march of science?

In the face of the economic pileup we're all tangled up in, measures to address climate change are being scaled down everywhere. First, because investment in this area could harm the economy (an argument that makes precious little sense); then, because new laws and regulations might make consumers and companies anxious, thus stifling investment (yeah, right); and finally, an argument brought forward mostly by the oil industry and Eastern Europe, with Czech Republic President Vaclav Klaus its most vocal advocate: that global warming is not the result of anthropogenic [human-caused] CO2, but natural phenomena like fluctuations in solar radiation.

 

This is an assertion that cannot be verified from earth. But it could be checked if a space observatory were positioned at a so-called Lagrange point called L1 . A Lagrange point is a point in space where the gravitational forces of two celestial bodies offset one another. A satellite placed at the L1 point would remain stationary 930,000 miles away from earth, in between the earth and the sun.

 

[Editor's Note: The Lagrange points are the five positions in an orbital configuration where a small object, affected only by gravity, can theoretically be stationary relative to two larger objects, such as a satellite with respect to the earth and moon. See graphic, left].

 

Such an observatory could measure both the energy being radiated by the sun and the amount of solar radiation being reflected off the earth back into space, also known as the earth's albedo . In this way, it would be possible, finally, to precisely measure and gather data on this aspect of the global climate. Data which, according to climate-change deniers, has been too imprecise up to now.

 

The $100 million Deep Space Climate Observatory: Are oil-industry insiders or others who question the human causes of climate change blocking its launch?

So why not simply build such an observatory and acquire solid data for this political-rhetorical discussion? Well, such an observatory already exists - and it has for more than five years. It's called DSCOVR (Deep Space Climate Observatory, initially TRIANA ) and it sits nicely wrapped in some storage facility in Maryland. But NASA doesn't want to launch the $100 million probe into space. And why not? Because back in 2006, "competing priorities" were regarded as more important.

 

And what were these “priorities”? It couldn't have been a lack of cargo space on rockets, because both France and Ukraine were already scheduled to launch it. Now it's back and supposedly being dusted off by the Air Force to be shot into space. But only if the instruments meant to monitor the earth are removed. And the reason for this absurd condition? Officially and incredibly: In order to save money. Unofficially though, there is some interesting insider information. 

Posted by WORLDMEETS.US

 

 

According to sources within NASA, who wish to keep their identities secret due to the culture of fear and suspicion under Bush, the project was despised from the outset of his administration because it had been instigated by former vice president Al Gore. Apparently, it was Dick Cheney who has tried to kill this instrument that promises to bring clarity to the climate controversy. And unless something happens soon, DSCOVR could actually be scrapped.

 

Admittedly (as with all of Cheney's deeds) concrete evidence for this conspiracy is thin. But the circumstantial evidence is striking. When it comes to reasons for the launch's delay, there is extreme secrecy - and virtually no government documents have been released. In comparison to NASA's overall budget (the scientifically useless International Space Station devours many times more than the needed funds) the cost of such a launch would be negligible.

 

Even the absurd intention to remove the instruments for observing the earth from the already completed observatory suggests there are powerful interests (and Cheney's entanglements with the oil industry are legendary) determined to keep data about the thermal balance of the earth concealed and extend debate on the issue for as long as possible.

 

Perhaps a good idea would be to launch still-Vice-President Cheney out to the L1 point. If, in this remote location, he continues to raise his voice against the launch … one could easily ignore him. And in the meantime, one could finally collect some useful data. A better way of killing two birds with one stone could hardly be found!

 

CLICK HERE FOR GERMAN VERSION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Posted by WORLDMEETS.US December 9, 4:47pm]