Biologist, Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA Space Biologist and Payload integrator, Editor of NASAWatch.com and Astrobiology.com, Lapsed climber, Explorer, Synaesthete, Former Challenger Center board member...

One reply on “Earth Science Community Seeks Assurances From Bridenstine”

  1. Say you are Christine McEntee; she’s the AGU Executive Director and CEO of one of America’s finest scientific establishments. From what I can learn she’s a bit of a hell raiser, successfully breathing new life into old organization. Doing a good job and well-regarded.

    Ms. McEntee is a Big Dog.

    So, if you were in her shoes, why would you start up with NASA?

    It’s a risky move with a huge downside.

    What’s to be gained with a very public challenge, almost a slap in the face and “what are you going to do about it?”

    I suppose she has (at least) two arenas of concern: first, at face value, no doubt the concerns of the AGU with respect to the issues she’s raised are serious. So, there’s that.

    And, isn’t there a risk that the move can appear self-aggrandizing? Not for her, personally, but it could be seen as an effort to raise the visibility of a venerable if staid organization.

    Certainly Ms. McEntee has easy access to the new Administrator; nobody will refuse to take her call, or refuse her a meeting. So, what is really going on here? Is there some unreported personal animosity? Has AGU pissed off NASA (or vice-versa) in the past?

    Was a diplomatic contact event attempted?

    I have learned many lessons in a fairly long life. One of these lessons is very simple: Unless perpetual war is your goal, never paint someone else into a corner. Always leave a way out. It’s what the wise Easterners call ‘face’, and, yes, it’s a thing here in the West, too.

    So, why?

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