Satellite Monitoring of Global Warming In "Serious Jeopardy"

Associated Press - June 4, 2007

'Overall climate program in serious jeopardy,' NOAA and NASA experts say

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration is drastically scaling back efforts to measure global warming from space, just as the president tries to convince the world the U.S. is ready to take the lead in reducing greenhouse gases.

A confidential report to the White House, obtained by The Associated Press, warns that U.S. scientists will soon lose much of their ability to monitor warming from space using a costly and problem-plagued satellite initiative begun more than a decade ago.

On Thursday at 1:00 pm the Science Committee will be holding a hearing on the Environmental Satellite Monitoring System, or National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS).

Energy & Environment Subcommittee

Status Report on the NPOESS Weather Satellite Program

Witnesses:

Mr. David Powner, Director, Information Technology Management Issues, Government Accountability Office

Brigadier General Sue Mashiko, U.S. Air Force, Program Executive Officer for Environmental Monitoring

Hon. John Marburger III, Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy

1:00 p.m. -- 3:00 p.m.

Speaker Pelosi has just returned from leading a Congressional Delegation on climate change to Greenland, Germany, England, and Belgium. The Speaker responded to the President's announcement on climate change at the time.