Whom you would destroy you first defund (Part 23)

Today's NY Times brings word of a new report about the US Climate Change Science Program from the National Academy of Sciences among the conclusions are

Science quality observation systems have fueled advances in climate change science and applications, but many existing and planned observing systems have been canceled, delayed, or degraded, which threatens future progress.

Surprise

The separation of leadership and budget authority presents a serious obstacle to progress in the CCSP. . . . . However, the CCSP director and agency principals lack authority to allocate or prioritize funding across the agencies, and the interagency working group members often have little budgetary authority to implement the research directions that they define. Such authority usually resides a higher levels in the participating agencies. As a result, progress is most likely when CCSP and agency interests coincide.

Why to the words seldom and never occur?

Discovery science and understanding of the climate system are proceeding well, but use of that knowledge to support decision making and to manage risks and opportunities of climate change is proceeding slowly.

Bigger and better bureaucratic ostriches.