Who is buying this shit?
The real deal:
Donald Trump is poised to eliminate all climate change research conducted by Nasa as part of a crackdown on “politicized science”, his senior adviser on issues relating to the space agency has said.
Nasa’s Earth science division is set to be stripped of funding in favor of exploration of deep space, with the president-elect having set a goal during the campaign to explore the entire solar system by the end of the century.
This would mean the elimination of Nasa’s world-renowned research into temperature, ice, clouds and other climate phenomena. Nasa’s network of satellites provide a wealth of information on climate change, with the Earth science division’s budget set to grow to $2bn next year. By comparison, space exploration has been scaled back somewhat, with a proposed budget of $2.8bn in 2017.
Bob Walker, a senior Trump campaign adviser, said there was no need for Nasa to do what he has previously described as “politically correct environmental monitoring”.
“We see Nasa in an exploration role, in deep space research,” Walker told the Guardian. “Earth-centric science is better placed at other agencies where it is their prime mission.
“My guess is that it would be difficult to stop all ongoing Nasa programs but future programs should definitely be placed with other agencies. I believe that climate research is necessary but it has been heavily politicized, which has undermined a lot of the work that researchers have been doing. Mr Trump’s decisions will be based upon solid science, not politicized science.”
Transcript of “softening” passage from NYTimes interview:
THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN, opinion columnist: Mr. President-elect, can I ask a question? One of the issues that you actually were very careful not to speak about during the campaign, and haven’t spoken about yet, is one very near and dear to my heart, the whole issue of climate change, the Paris agreement, how you’ll approach it. You own some of the most beautiful links golf courses in the world …
[laughter, cross talk]
TRUMP: [laughing] I read your article. Some will be even better because actually like Doral is a little bit off … so it’ll be perfect. [inaudible] He doesn’t say that. He just says that the ones that are near the water will be gone, but Doral will be in great shape.
[laughter]
FRIEDMAN: But it’s really important to me, and I think to a lot of our readers, to know where you’re going to go with this. I don’t think anyone objects to, you know, doing all forms of energy. But are you going to take America out of the world’s lead of confronting climate change?
TRUMP: I’m looking at it very closely, Tom. I’ll tell you what. I have an open mind to it. We’re going to look very carefully. It’s one issue that’s interesting because there are few things where there’s more division than climate change. You don’t tend to hear this, but there are people on the other side of that issue who are, think, don’t even …
SULZBERGER: We do hear it.
FRIEDMAN: I was on ‘Squawk Box’ with Joe Kernen this morning, so I got an earful of it.
[laughter]
TRUMP: Joe is one of them. But a lot of smart people disagree with you. I have a very open mind. And I’m going to study a lot of the things that happened on it and we’re going to look at it very carefully. But I have an open mind.
SULZBERGER: Well, since we’re living on an island, sir, I want to thank you for having an open mind. We saw what these storms are now doing, right? We’ve seen it personally. Straight up.
FRIEDMAN: But you have an open mind on this?
TRUMP: I do have an open mind. And we’ve had storms always, Arthur.
SULZBERGER: Not like this.
TRUMP: You know the hottest day ever was in 1890-something, 98. You know, you can make lots of cases for different views. I have a totally open mind.
My uncle was for 35 years a professor at M.I.T. He was a great engineer, scientist. He was a great guy. And he was … a long time ago, he had feelings — this was a long time ago — he had feelings on this subject. It’s a very complex subject. I’m not sure anybody is ever going to really know. I know we have, they say they have science on one side but then they also have those horrible emails that were sent between the scientists. Where was that, in Geneva or wherever five years ago? Terrible. Where they got caught, you know, so you see that and you say, what’s this all about. I absolutely have an open mind. I will tell you this: Clean air is vitally important. Clean water, crystal clean water is vitally important. Safety is vitally important.
And you know, you mentioned a lot of the courses. I have some great, great, very successful golf courses. I’ve received so many environmental awards for the way I’ve done, you know. I’ve done a tremendous amount of work where I’ve received tremendous numbers. Sometimes I’ll say I’m actually an environmentalist and people will smile in some cases and other people that know me understand that’s true. Open mind.
JAMES BENNET, editorial page editor: When you say an open mind, you mean you’re just not sure whether human activity causes climate change? Do you think human activity is or isn’t connected?
TRUMP: I think right now … well, I think there is some connectivity. There is some, something. It depends on how much. It also depends on how much it’s going to cost our companies. You have to understand, our companies are noncompetitive right now.
They’re really largely noncompetitive. About four weeks ago, I started adding a certain little sentence into a lot of my speeches, that we’ve lost 70,000 factories since W. Bush. 70,000. When I first looked at the number, I said: ‘That must be a typo. It can’t be 70, you can’t have 70,000, you wouldn’t think you have 70,000 factories here.’ And it wasn’t a typo, it’s right. We’ve lost 70,000 factories.
We’re not a competitive nation with other nations anymore. We have to make ourselves competitive. We’re not competitive for a lot of reasons.
That’s becoming more and more of the reason. Because a lot of these countries that we do business with, they make deals with our president, or whoever, and then they don’t adhere to the deals, you know that. And it’s much less expensive for their companies to produce products. So I’m going to be studying that very hard, and I think I have a very big voice in it. And I think my voice is listened to, especially by people that don’t believe in it. And we’ll let you know.
FRIEDMAN: I’d hate to see Royal Aberdeen underwater.
TRUMP: The North Sea, that could be, that’s a good one, right?
Obama’s veto has been the only thing protecting scientist’s jobs, and perhaps their freedom.
AGW is a matter of National Security. Gutting NASA climate study is an act of treason against America. (Don’t argue with me) Start impeachment as soon as he is sworn in. Drag it out as long as possible. Use it to give a unending science lesson and to shut down the Republican Congress.
Meet scorched Earth with scorched Earth.
OOH-Rah and Semper Fi! Gander Mountain is having a great gun sale—-I’m going to stop in and get a scoped flat-shooting long range rifle to add to the arsenal—-.270 WIN Remington 700 probably. And maybe make some Molotov cocktails and napalm for that “scorched earth” part.
Although gutting NASA earth observation programs is an act of treason against the entire planet, I don’t know that it’s an impeachment offense. Maybe we could get him sooner if we concentrated on his business dealings (when we finally get to see his tax returns or someone uncovers some future conflicts).
Peter asks “Who is buying this shit?”. Only the ignorant and misguided who have bought all of Trump’s shit over the past year and a half. It remains to be seen whether he pulls out of (or sabotages) the Paris Accord—-he needs to NOT stir up the whole world before he’s even inaugurated so he’ s making nice for now.
I am appalled at how incoherent Trump is and how poorly he articulates his thoughts, and it is nauseatingly laughable how he repeatedly spouts denier BS and then says he has an “open mind” (aka “empty head”). What Walker says in the Guardian piece is far more coherent and believable—–they have been whispering this “politicized climate science”crap in Trump’s ear for a long time now, and as is his wont, they’ve gotten him to think it’s HIS idea (and therefore infallibly correct).
Think I’ll go puke up my breakfast. One positive here—-I will at least lose some weight if I can’t keep the food down.
” I don’t know that it’s an impeachment offense”
It depends upon what the meaning of the word ‘it’s’ is. (Bill Clinton can testify how low that impeachment bar has been set).
And….. I told you not to argue with me. Sheesh – does nobody listen to me anymore? Don’t answer that question – it was rhetorical.
So sorry to seem as if I’m arguing with you, Ginger, but it doesn’t depend on the meaning of anything, except maybe in an existential way. It depends on electing a majority of non-Republican Representatives (218) and a 2/3rd majority of non-Republican Senators (67) 2 years from now.
Thank you for Junior High School Civics review. I’m glad to see that you paid attention when you took the class, but how do you suggest we accomplish that?
Ford said that an impeachable offense is whatever a majority of the House of Representatives says it is
I swear, reading that interview was like listening to Rain Man…minus the savant aspect of course.
There is something seriously (pathologically) wrong with that man!
Yep, sociopathy rising to the level of psychopathy. manifesting itself in a serious case of NPD (Narcissistic Personality Disorder).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissistic_personality_disorder
Trump exhibits characteristics across a wide range of the NPD “subtypes”. A sampling:
Unprincipled narcissist: unscrupulous, fraudulent, deceptive, arrogant, exploitive; a con artist and charlatan; dominating, contemptuous, vindictive.
Amorous narcissist Including histrionic features. Sexually seductive, enticing, beguiling, tantalizing; glib and clever, pathological lying and swindling.
Compensatory narcissist Including negativistic and avoidant features Seeks to counteract or cancel out deep feelings of inferiority and lack of self-esteem; offsets deficits by creating illusions of being superior, exceptional, admirable, noteworthy; self-worth results from self-enhancement.
Elitist narcissist Variant of “pure” pattern. Feels privileged and empowered by virtue of special childhood status and pseudo achievements; entitled façade bears little relation to reality; seeks favored and good life; is upwardly mobile; cultivates special status and advantages by association.
Malignant narcissist Including antisocial, sadistic and paranoid features. inhumane, callous, brutal, rancorous, aggressive, biting, merciless, vicious, cruel, spiteful; hateful and jealous; anticipates betrayal and seeks punishment; desires revenge
Attention Narcissist think they are superior and therefore they should have everyone’s attention, and when they do not have everyone’s attention they go out of their way to capture the attention of as many people as possible.
Beyond The Rules Narcissist Including antisocial (ASPD) features. thinks that because they are so superior to everyone they do not have to follow the rules like most people
Yeah, the NPD fits him to a tee, but I was also thinking about the incoherent rambling and disjointed sentences along with his use of non sequiturs. His language is incomprehensible to the point of gibberish.
He may actually be suffering from some mental deficit, and I don’t mean this just to be insulting. ADD on steroids.
It could be ADD. There is no doubt that he has “mental deficits”, but Trump may actually be suffering from a medical problem—-a mild form of aphasia, which can be caused by a stroke or other medical condition. (Of course, his gastroenterologist wrote that famous letter saying Trump was in perfect health, so not to worry)
Remember Kevin McCarthy? The guy who was being touted as a replacement for Boner as speaker of the house? His aphasia was serious enough that it appeared to be Wernicke’s Aphasia, and after I saw him speaking, I sent an email to his staff suggesting that he be checked out for that by a doctor. Don’t know if they followed up, but he DID withdraw from consideration soon after.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/rachel-maddow-kevin-mccarthy-speech-english-language_us_560d5a35e4b0af3706dfc389
The discussion with Trump seems to predicated on the notion that the worst thing climate change could do would be to flood a few golf courses (namely his).
Yes, and global nuclear war would play havoc with the football season.
Unless one thinks Iraq did 9/11 and they had WMD’s, one has to concede that the MSM is the fake news.
Take a look at this piece:
https://thinkprogress.org/washington-post-fake-news-lomborg-climate-e13681c350f8#.d0l6v66hs
Ha, ha – I’ve seen the Lomborg graphic many a time. I wouldn’t count on any of these operations to do anything but try to stir up controversy to move product (he said, she said, we’ll let the audience figure out the truth). Jeff Bezos (a billionaire) owns the WP; that’s why they spent so much time assassinating Bernie Sander’s character there – Bezos sure as heck doesn’t want any tax increases on himself.
A Portrait of a Man Who Knows Nothing About Climate Change
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/11/trumps-climate-change-answer-dumber-than-you-could-imagine.html