Australia guts government climate research

Since climate change is “answered,” researchers aren’t needed.

Read the whole story

 

[ten91]

Congrats to Australia for finishing Science.

 

[SyntheticKnowledge]

I can't think of any other response to this. It's that stupid.

 

[ApplePaladin]

Great job documenting that problem. Before we find any answers, let's go ahead and fire everybody.

Wait... what?

 

[whoisit]

They are going to use the funds previously earmarked for climate science to determine what happened to Paul Hogan, and to finally figure out a joint drop bear defense system for all branches of the Australian military.

 

[iPirateEverything]

Good job Australia, it's about time that guesswork gets priority over hardcore science.

Replace all those scientists with unemployed people who can flip a coin and give you an answer every time, that solves two problems at once!

 

[IrishMonkee]

It's not like science or the findings will ever change from year to year from here on out. I mean, they have the cold hard facts now and those facts will never change in regards to climate change.

 

[siliconaddict]

ten91[/url]":s1xwbhp2]Congrats to Australia for finishing Science.

Close the comment section. This one wins. God I haven't laughed that hard in a while. =D

 

[theonespork]

Modern Major General Thanatos[/url]":2g285kr5]If you are going to jump up and down and tell politicians that this is settled science, don't be surprised when they use your words to defund you.

You simply cannot be serious?

 

[Onyx Spartan II]

theonespork[/url]":2cdmpdpv]

Modern Major General Thanatos[/url]":2cdmpdpv]If you are going to jump up and down and tell politicians that this is settled science, don't be surprised when they use your words to defund you.

You simply cannot be serious?

What? Do you really think politicians won't deliberately misinterpret your words in order to serve their own agendas?

 

[normally butters]

After two decades of specializing their economy toward supplying China with coal and iron ore -- a business that is now in spectacular decline -- Australia can no longer afford luxuries like scientific research. The world needs to burn more fossil fuels to make climate research economical in Australia.

 

[DarthSlack]

Well, if the deniers are to be believed, all of these scientists were so well-payed that they are now at home floating in swimming pools filled with money.

 

[Nowicki]

This makes 0 sense for a sea locked country/continent

 

[theonespork]

Onyx Spartan II[/url]":1r7s7448]

theonespork[/url]":1r7s7448]

Modern Major General Thanatos[/url]":1r7s7448]If you are going to jump up and down and tell politicians that this is settled science, don't be surprised when they use your words to defund you.

You simply cannot be serious?

What? Do you really think politicians won't deliberately misinterpret your words in order to serve their own agendas?

Of course they will, yesterday, today, and tomorrow. That being said, deliberate misinterpretation is one thing; this is something different. Acquiescing on the Climate Change debate only to shut down on the research that is essential to fully understanding the continuing, and still growing, impact is utterly asinine.

 

[pcsandmotorcycles]

If they take the money and spend it on finding better solutions to global warming I guess I can live with it. Still seems short sighted to conclude that anything in science is "settled" though.

 

[potato44819]

theonespork[/url]":giejjxv5]

Modern Major General Thanatos[/url]":giejjxv5]If you are going to jump up and down and tell politicians that this is settled science, don't be surprised when they use your words to defund you.

You simply cannot be serious?

Have you ever worked with politicians? This is in fact how they operate.

 

[Cheesewhiz]

Well this is certainly an interesting way to kill research.

Kind of brilliant actually. Agree with the science so much that there isn't need to look at it any more.

The result is utterly stupid, but kudos for the innovative approach to defunding science.

I wonder how long it will take Lamar Smith to latch on to this. Or really, how long for the Koch Bros et al to give him flash cards to memorize.

 

[CraigJ ✅]

Dear Australia,

Thanks for making us look a little less ignorant than we did before. So ten out of ten for style, but minus several million for good thinking, yeah?

Sincerely,

The USA

 

[Matty]

My bet is the conservative government leaned on the CSIRO CEO and got what it wanted.

 

[bytegod]

ten91[/url]":2mhrne98]Congrats to Australia for finishing Science.

 

[Deleted member 338050]

Modern Major General Thanatos[/url]":2rmm5e8j]

theonespork[/url]":2rmm5e8j]

Modern Major General Thanatos[/url]":2rmm5e8j]If you are going to jump up and down and tell politicians that this is settled science, don't be surprised when they use your words to defund you.

You simply cannot be serious?

Have you ever worked with politicians? This is in fact how they operate.

May I add C-level management there too

 

[Marlor_AU]

The CSIRO has seen massive funding cuts over the past couple of years, ever since the Liberal Party (i.e. the more conservative of Australia's political parties) came to power. The first act of the Government was to totally axe the Science Ministry, then cut funding to scientific research bodies and universities. This was by a Prime Minister (who had a thankfully short tenure) who declared that "climate change is absolute crap", and was hostile towards science in general (maybe a legacy of his time in the seminary).

The funding cuts totally gutted the CSIRO. At one point, we had Nobel Laureates wasting their time washing test tubes and beakers, because their lab staff had been fired.

Now, there's a promise to restore some of the funding, but only if the focus is shifted towards creating technologies that are marketable, easily licensed, and potentially profit-generating. Pure science is on the back-burner, and a Silicon Valley venture capitalist has been appointed to lead the nation's flagship R&D agency.

Climate Change, unfortunately, is not marketable as a product. Expect the shift to be towards anything that can turn a quick buck. Whether that be building a broad ICT patent portfolio, or just selling dowsing rods.

 

[potato44819]

belleg[/url]":jkhe9kdy]

Modern Major General Thanatos[/url]":jkhe9kdy]

theonespork[/url]":jkhe9kdy]

Modern Major General Thanatos[/url]":jkhe9kdy]If you are going to jump up and down and tell politicians that this is settled science, don't be surprised when they use your words to defund you.

You simply cannot be serious?

Have you ever worked with politicians? This is in fact how they operate.

May I add C-level management there too

Yup.

"We have the best IT security systems out there!"

"Good, we can stop investing in IT now."

:facepalm:

 

[Nerdgoggles]

why the hell is Australia's government so fucked up and back asswords?

 

[Sasparilla]

Wow...kudos to Australia...you were neck and neck with the conservative govts in Canada (former govt) and UK in trying to make the former Bush Administration here in the U.S. look enlightened - but this truly has put you over the top.

Who cares about their kids / grand-kids futures. Really astounding...all because people with money told them to.

It's good to point out that Australia is feeling and will feel the effects of Global Warming to a very high degree (i.e. they should really want to know what's going to happen in 20 years etc. as conditions change and models improve).

 

[potato44819]

Nerdgoggles[/url]":1naucuam]why the hell is Australia's government so fucked up and back asswords?

Consequence of everything being upside-down.

 

[BobsYourUncleBob]

A quick Wikipedia search confirms that "... CSIRO is the federal government agency for scientific research in Australia ..." & given the tone of his "So long & thanks for all the fish" termination notice, Larry Marshall's not coming out with any more appeal than, ... well ... an assortment of week long beached marine life.

So a few questions not specifically raised or addressed in the post:
- Was this staff cut in response to agency defunding at the federal budgetary level?
- Was this "exclusively" Larry Marshall's call?
- If it was "Marshall's call" (for PR purposes, at least) Who is REALLY calling the shots here?"

These would be extraordinary & exceptional steps to take even for for us in the U.S. & we seemingly lead the world in assigning science an optional status.

(Something to be really proud of, huh? The U.S. as the epicenter of Science as a political statement and/or fashion accessory. Hey ... it's trending!)

 

[Baron von Robber]

Australia's way of saying...

"We pooped really well in our bed. Very well. So, good that were are not going to clean it up, but instead, we will lay in it and learn to appreciate the fragrance of it!"

 

[Kharma]

Australia has a Liberal government.

Down Under is Liberal a secret code word for right wing science denying nut?

 

[Evan E]

Oh, for the love of $DEITY, please don't show this to Lamar Smith.

 

[Kharma]

CraigJ[/url]":1au0dubt]Dear Australia,

Thanks for making us look a little less ignorant than we did before. So ten out of ten for style, but minus several million for good thinking, yeah?

Sincerely,

The USA

Dear USA

Take a good hard look at yourself before pointing at others. Your politicians are trying to do the exact same thing to the NOAA.

Australia.

 

[psarhjinian]

Kharma[/url]":1dk2smye]Australia has a Liberal government.

Down Under is Liberal a secret code word for right wing science denying nut?

Yes. For that matter, it is in other jurisdictions, too.

 

[theSeb]

bytegod[/url]":1elsoe0v]

ten91[/url]":1elsoe0v]Congrats to Australia for finishing Science.

Spoiler

But it's still a good idea to keep researching future tech since it gives you a boost to your final score. Does Australia not realise this?!?!?!

 

[puppies]

bytegod[/url]":38c9o7lr]

ten91[/url]":38c9o7lr]Congrats to Australia for finishing Science.

Spoiler

But it's still a good idea to keep researching future tech since it gives you a boost to your final score. Does Australia not realise this?!?!?!

Yeah, but at that point you no longer need to prioritize research output and can divert your resources to bolstering your military and crushing other civilizations further down on the tech tree.

Wait... should New Zealand be worried?

 

[Ars of Ares]

Completely different area, but my employer is now doing just this with one of our departments. These people literally worked themselves out of a job.

Of course, it is entirely different, and it may make sense with a private company, but this? This is some grade A bullshit.

 

[Evan E]

Marlor[/url]":1qku9e1u]The CSIRO has seen massive funding cuts over the past couple of years, ever since the Liberal Party (i.e. the more conservative of Australia's political parties) came to power. The first act of the Government was to totally axe the Science Ministry, then cut funding to scientific research bodies and universities. This was by a Prime Minister (who had a thankfully short tenure) who declared that "climate change is absolute crap", and was hostile towards science in general (maybe a legacy of his time in the seminary).

The funding cuts totally gutted the CSIRO. At one point, we had Nobel Laureates wasting their time washing test tubes and beakers, because their lab staff had been fired.

Now, there's a promise to restore some of the funding, but only if the focus is shifted towards creating technologies that are marketable, easily licensed, and potentially profit-generating. Pure science is on the back-burner, and a Silicon Valley venture capitalist has been appointed to lead the nation's flagship R&D agency.

Climate Change, unfortunately, is not marketable as a product. Expect the shift to be towards anything that can turn a quick buck. Whether that be building a broad ICT patent portfolio, or just selling dowsing rods.

Thank you for that context - it certainly matches what I've read about science & government in Australia the last few years, and I'm sorry to hear what you're going through. Almost as sorry (and angry) as I get when I read about our own House Committee On Anti-Science here in the States.

 

[ten91]

puppies[/url]":27litibu]

bytegod[/url]":27litibu]

ten91[/url]":27litibu]Congrats to Australia for finishing Science.

Spoiler

But it's still a good idea to keep researching future tech since it gives you a boost to your final score. Does Australia not realise this?!?!?!

Yeah, but at that point you no longer need to prioritize research output and can divert your resources to bolstering your military and crushing other civilizations further down on the tech tree.

Wait... should New Zealand be worried?

We should be more concerned about India this late in the game.

 

[BobsYourUncleBob]

Marlor[/url]":1tjt4tey]Now, there's a promise to restore some of the funding, but only if the focus is shifted towards creating technologies that are marketable, easily licensed, and potentially profit-generating. Pure science is on the back-burner, and a Silicon Valley venture capitalist has been appointed to lead the nation's flagship R&D agency.

"The challenges confronting us are enormous; time pressures are tremendous; funding resources are scarce; "useful" results stemming from fundamental R&D is dramatically uncertain; ... Since it looks like humanity is on the ropes anyway, why not at least make a few bucks from mankind's pending extinction, am I right?"


And thus it was determined: Über Capitalism FTW!