The US — and scientists around the world — could soon lose precious information needed to understand and address the climate crisis thanks to climate change deniers in Congress.
The US government's polar sea ice monitoring program now has just three functioning research satellites. Each is beyond its shelf life, and government officials say another satellite cannot be launched before 2023. David Gallaher of the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colorado explained to the Guardian:
“Our world is ailing and we have apparently decided to undermine, quite deliberately, the effectiveness of the records on which its recovery might be based. It is criminal."
When it comes to addressing the climate crisis, precision counts. Even seemingly small changes in the rate at which sea ice is melting can create significant damage in the form of drowning polar bears in the Arctic and more intense storm surges, catastrophic flooding, and other impacts.
The research conducted by these satellites is simply too important to be cast aside. And, — if the GOP-led Congress and administration won't fund even the most monitoring of this key climate indicator — maybe the science-minded entrepreneurs at SpaceX and Blue Origin can step in to help.
That's why Care2 is calling on SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and Blue Origin Founder Jeff Bezos to immediately offer launch facilities and mission support to the US government in order to replace and enhance America's sea ice monitoring satellities.
Both Musk and Bezos have recognized the threat of climate change publicly. And each has invested in green and space technology. Your signature today can help convince SpaceX and Blue Origin to take the next step and help save these essential satellites.
If we're to face the climate crisis, we need to understand it. To understand it, we need sea ice monitoring satellites. Please sign the petition now.
