Former Tulsa congressman Jim Bridenstine, now administrator of NASA clarified his stance on climate change at a recent first town hall for him as the space leader.
During the event, Bridenstine claimed his position on climate change has “evolved” and used the impact of tornadoes in Oklahoma as an example.
“I don’t deny the consensus that the climate is changing, in fact, I fully believe and know that the climate is changing,” said Bridenstine. “I also know that we human beings are contributing to it in a major way.”
In his address at the town hall, Bridenstine praised NASA and went so far as to define carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas.
“We’re putting it to the atmosphere in volumes that we haven’t seen and that greenhouse gas is warming the planet. That is absolutely happening and we are responsible for it.”
As Bridenstine spoke, House appropriators approved a spending bill that restores some of the funding for a NASA astrophysics mission targeted for cancellation. But Bridenstine told those on hand he was “90 percent” confident the mission will continue.
He remained confident the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) would win funding from Congress.
“The bottom line is that House appropriators are looking at funding it, and I would imagine that the Senate would probably follow,” he said. “I think WFIRST is going to continue to go forward. If I had a crystal ball, I’d say there’s a 90 percent chance of that.”
Prior to Bridenstine’s confirmation as NASA administrator, the administration requested approval of the project but offered no funding. The request came after an independent review board last fall found the $3.2 billion project was several hundred million dollars over the estimate.
In approving some of the funding, House appropriators okayed $150 million for WFIRST.
Bridenstine said that NASA would have to work to keep WFIRST costs down, noting the overruns on the James Webb Space Telescope. “When we think about WFIRST, we need to think about how we got where we are with the James Webb and make sure we don’t repeat that,” he said. “I’ve got to be committed to preventing that from happening. If you know anything about this president, it’s on budget and under time.”
