administration is drastically scaling back efforts to measure global warming from space

US cuts back climate checks from space | Associated Press - June 4, 2007 7:13 PM ET

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush is trying to convince the world the US is ready to take the lead in reducing greenhouse gases.

But meanwhile, the administration is drastically scaling back efforts to measure global warming from space.

A confidential report to the White House, obtained by The Associated Press, warns that American scientists will soon lose much of their ability to monitor warming from space.

They've been using a costly and problem-plagued satellite initiative begun more than a decade ago. It was intended to gather weather and climate data. But the Pentagon has decided to downsize and launch four satellites instead of 6 satellites.

The reduced system will now focus on weather forecasting. Most climate instruments needed to collect more precise data over long periods are being eliminated. ...