NASA appeal to CSIRO to abandon climate change cuts

"The cost to our international reputation
 is immense" -
Kim Carr, ALP's shadow science minister.

The US space agency NASA has appealed to CSIRO to abandon plans to cut a key monitoring program that it says will undermine Australia and the world's ability to monitor and predict climate change.

Brent Holben, the project scientist in charge of NASA's Aerosol Robotic Network, urged CSIRO to reconsider any plans it had to cut or withdraw its contribution to the program, according to a letter obtained by Fairfax Media.

"I understand that CSIRO is undertaking a major restructuring that may lead to the closure of AeroSpan [CSIRO's partner program]," Dr Holben wrote in the letter addressed to Alex Wonhas, a senior CSIRO executive, and dated May 1, 2016.

Read Peter Hannam’s story in today’s Melbourne Age - “'Dismay': NASA appeals to CSIRO not to cut global climate efforts.”