Global Warming at NASA: Are There Skeptics Within Space Program?

On the topic of global warming, NASA has never wavered from its stance that the Earth is undergoing a dramatic climate change.

But there is some skepticism about global warming among employees of the space program. In 2012, Yahoo reported 49 former NASA scientists and astronauts sent NASA Administrator Charles Bolden a letter that was critical of the agency’s activist stance toward climate change.

ALERT: Is Global Warming a Hoax? Vote Now

The group included seven former astronauts: Harrison Schmitt, Walter Cunningham, Charles Duke, Ed Gibson, Richard Gordon, Joseph Kerwin and Al Worden  and two former directors of NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Gerald Griffin and Christopher Kraft, according to Yahoo.

Yahoo reported the former employees asked NASA to move away from advocating with a high degree of certainty that man-made carbon dioxide is a major cause of global warming while neglecting empirical evidence that raises questions about that theory.

The letter asked NASA to refrain from including unproven and unsupported remarks on global warming in its future releases and websites.

“At risk is damage to the exemplary reputation of NASA, NASA’s current or former scientists and employees, and even the reputation of science itself,” the letter said.

Skeptical Science reported the letter touted its signatories as being from top astronauts, scientists, engineers and NASA experts with more than 1,000 years of combined professional experience.

But the 49 signatories represent only a small percentage of people who feel this way, Skeptical Science noted in questioning whether the letter should be taken seriously. It said NASA at the time had 18,000 current employees, none of whom signed the letter.

Skeptical Science added that job titles listed in the letter indicated its signatories included administrators, astronauts, engineers, technicians and scientists/mathematicians, with none of the positions involved having the "slightest relation" to climate science.

“Amongst the signatories and their 1,000 years of combined professional experience, that appears to include a grand total of zero hours of climate research, and zero peer-reviewed climate science papers,” Skeptical Science reported.

VOTE NOW: Are You Concerned About Global Warming?

Related Stories:

• Global warming could be a key issue in the 2016 election
• Report shows Obama global warming policy weakens military readiness