Space debris shadows stimulus passage, senate hearings

Holdren, Lubchenco closer to confirmation

While passage of the economic stimulus bill took up most of the media attention on Thursday, two of President Obama’s nominees, Harvard University physicist John Holdren and Oregon State University marine biologist Jane Lubchenco, met members of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation for their confirmation hearings (see video ). Holdren is Obama’s choice for science adviser, and Lubchenco is his nominee to head the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The packed session heard both candidates state the value of scientific integrity in providing advice to government. Holdren will be the 15th science adviser at the White House and co-chair of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.

In testimony given to the committee, Holdren said , “American investments in science and engineering have driven most of the innovations that underpin our economy today. A wide variety of studies conclude that between 50 and 85 percent of the growth of the U.S. economy over the past half-century--and two-thirds of our productivity gains in recent decades--are directly attributable to scientific and technological advances. In today’s time of economic crisis, we must resist the temptation to reduce our investments in these foundations of our prosperity.... I want to give special mention to the importance of R&D in our space program. Maintaining and expanding our capabilities in space is sometimes regarded as a “luxury” we should do less of in the face of more pressing earthbound concerns. But that would be false economy. Space is crucial to our national defense; to civil as well as military communications and geo-positioning; to weather forecasting and storm monitoring; to observation and scientific study of the condition of our home planet’s land, vegetation, oceans, and atmosphere; and to scientific study and exploration looking “outward” that is increasing our understanding of the physical universe and our place in it.”

The mention of space played particularly well with Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) and Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL), who have NASA facilities in their district. Hutchison later asked Holdren whether NASA and science in space will be a priority for the administration. “The short answer ... is yes, it is a priority,” Holdren said. “We have been looking at what the best way to resurrect the National Space Council in the White House would be. I think that’s going to happen.”

Holdren also emphasized the role the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) will play in defense issues. “Science and technology are essential elements of improving our capacity to verify existing arms-control agreements,” he said, “as well as to help decide what additional agreements are in our national interest, and OSTP has a role to play in that.”

In her opening remarks, Lubchenco called NOAA “the crown jewel of the Commerce Department” and “the premier government agency for applied science.” Lubchenco said she wanted to get NOAA’s satellite program back on track and create a National Climate Service, modeled after the National Weather Service, that would offer information on the likely local impacts of climate change. “It is an idea whose time has come, and I would like to make it happen.”

The only friction in the hearing came from questions from Sen. David Vitter (R-LA). He unearthed statements Holdren had made in 1971 that said some form of “ecocatastrophe” was “almost certain” to overtake the world before the end of the century. “Do you think that was a responsible prediction?” Vitter asked.

In response, Holdren replied, “One of the things I’ve learned in the intervening nearly four decades is that predictions about the future are difficult.” Vitter then cited a 1986 article, attributed to Holdren, that said that global warming could cause the deaths of one billion people by 2020. “Would you stick to that statement?” asked Vitter.[Holdren] “Well, again, I wouldn’t have called it a prediction then, and I wouldn’t call it a prediction now. I think it is unlikely to happen."[Vitter] “But you think it could happen?"[Holdren] “I think it could happen.”

According to Chairman John D. Rockefeller IV (D-WV), the two nominations will come to a floor vote soon.

Scientists lobby Congress over stimulus bill

As the Senate voted 61-37 over its version of the stimulus bill , scientists and pro-science organizations were horrified to see the complete gutting of funding that was in the House bill for R&D investments in basic science, including all additional funding for the National Science Foundation.

A strong lobbying campaign resulted in which physicists such as John Miller at the University of Houston wrote editorial opinion pieces for newspapers pointing out how investment in R&D grows GDP. “Every dollar going into a research grant has a multiplier effect as it supports education, small business and human innovation,” said Miller. “Studies show increased economic activity, including wages paid, of at least $2.5 for each dollar invested in NSF, resulting in higher tax revenues for state and federal governments.”

The Union of Concerned Scientists was one of many organizations that asked its members to lobby Congress through e-mail and phone calls, an action that appeared to pay off on Thursday morning , as details about the compromise bill between the House and Senate versions were leaked from the office of Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Speaker of the House of Representatives.

The summary document implicitly states that the US needs to invest in R&D and education to maintain its role as a world leader in the global economy. The compromise passed the House on Friday afternoon 246 to 183 and later on Friday night 60-38 by the Senate. Highlights include:

“Investing in Scientific Research (More than $15 Billion):

“Provides $3 billion for the National Science Foundation, for basic research in fundamental science and engineering--which spurs discovery and innovation.

“Provides $1.6 billion for the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, which funds research in such areas as climate science, biofuels, high-energy physics, nuclear physics, and fusion energy sciences--areas crucial to our energy future.

“Provides $400 million for the Advanced Research Project Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) to support high-risk, high-payoff research into energy sources and energy efficiency in collaboration with industry.

“Provides $580 million for the National Institute of Standards and Technology, including the Technology Innovation Program and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership.

“Provides $10 billion for NIH, including expanding good jobs in biomedical research to study diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, cancer, and heart disease.

“Provides $1 billion for NASA, including $400 million to put more scientists to work doing climate change research.

“Provides $1.5 billion for NIH to renovate university research facilities and help them compete for biomedical research grants.”

A separate section entitled “Clean, Efficient, American Energy” includes:

“Smart Grid/Advanced Battery Technology/Energy Efficiency:

“Provides a total of $30 billion for such initiatives as a new, smart power grid, advanced battery technology, and energy efficiency measures, which will create nearly 500,000 jobs.

“Transforms the nation’s electricity systems through the Smart Grid Investment Program to modernize the electricity grid to make it more efficient and reliable.

“Supports U.S. development of advanced vehicle batteries and battery systems through loans and grants so that America can lead the world in transforming the way automobiles are powered.

“Helps state and local governments make investments in innovative best practices to achieve greater energy efficiency and reduce energy usage.

“Spurs energy efficiency and renewable energy R&D.”

Change in Space?

As Congress finally came close to agreement on President Obama’s stimulus package, two large satellites in Earth orbit collided 491 miles above Siberia . The collision on Tuesday was between an Iridium communications satellite —which was launched in 1997 and still functioning—and Russian Cosmos 2251 satellite launched in 1993 that had been non-operational for a decade. The debris, spread in two distinct orbits consists of more than 500 pieces more than 1 cm in size, currently threatens some Chinese satellites in a sun-synchronous orbit, and may threaten some US science satellites . Space debris is becoming a significant problem for NASA and other space agencies.

Two years ago, a Chinese test of an anti-satellite weapon led to concern that a new arms race in space was about to break out. The test, and the 2006 US National Space Policy review helped scupper attempts by Russia and China in 2008 to create an international agreement to space-based weapons and the testing of ground-based anti-satellite weapons because of the risks associated with generaitng space debris. Now, it appears that US policy is changing, the Obama administration has a statement on the Whitehouse web site that states that the President is in favor of a “worldwide ban on weapons that interfere with military and commercial satellites.”

Paul Guinnessy

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