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Weather Satellites Lose Funding
ianare writes "Federal budget cuts are threatening to leave the US without some critical satellites, and that could mean less accurate warnings about events like tornadoes and blizzards. In particular, officials at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are concerned about satellites that orbit over the earth's poles rather than remaining over a fixed spot along the equator. These satellites are 'the backbone' of any forecast beyond a couple of days, says Kathryn Sullivan, assistant secretary of commerce for environmental observation and prediction, and NOAA's deputy administrator. It was data from polar satellites that alerted forecasters to the risk of tornadoes in Alabama and Mississippi back in April, Sullivan says. 'With the polar satellites currently in place we were able to give those communities five days' heads up,' she says."
We just have to wait for Nancy Pelosi to come and say it will be cheaper to clean up the damage than to fund the satellites.
Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
They didn't predict the storms so much as cause them. If we let them send up more satellites they can get back on schedule for destroying the world in 2012. Due to budget restrictions, delays and the housing market crash they already missed the judgement day deadline. Skynet is going to build itself. If we don't hurry up there won't be any more films about the US building doomsday devices because they just will not be believable. Everyone will know the Chinese will build them first. Most of our students and potential mad scientists already come from abroad. We have to do this while we still can otherwise we will just become irrelevant and depend on other countries for dictating the future of humanity.