NASA’s mission statement until recently included:

“to understand and protect the Earth”

Now it doesn’t.

Two takes on this, one from physorg that notes the coincidence that James Hansen, a NASA scientist, cited that phrase repeatedly last winter when he talked about dangers of greenhouse gas emissions, and one by Bruce Sterling that quotes a Planetary Society appeal to get the mission changed back, and that notes that the supposed moon base of 20 years from now is being used as an excuse to cut both earth science and expeditions to other planets, not to mention research at universities.

Short term cuts hidden under long-term vaporware, including cuts in projects that help determine the long-term viability of the home planet. Doesn’t sound like good risk management to me.

-jsq