How Important Is NASA’s Earth Science Program That Trump Wants to Abolish?

US President-elect Donald Trump campaigned to reduce debt and the size of US government and also dismissed concerns about climate change. Analysts anticipate he will eliminate NASA climate programs including the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment satellite, GRACE, and funding for university earth science research. Such programs are multi-functional and ultimately apply science for the greater good, argues Brenda Ekwurzel for EcoWatch. Data produced by NASA programs are “critical for rebuilding or investing in 21st century American infrastructure,” she reports. “Surveyors, mapping professionals and others use the NSRS to ensure their positional coordinates are compatible and accurate in the creation of maps and charts; marking property boundaries; and planning, designing, and building roads, bridges, and other structures.” The GRACE system also assists the agriculture industry by providing detailed data on water supplies and irrigation systems. Coastal communities around the world also rely on the satellite data to plan for their futures. – YaleGlobal