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Earth Science

Earth Science Community Seeks Assurances From Bridenstine

By Keith Cowing
NASA Watch
May 16, 2018
Filed under ,

NASA Watch founder, Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA, Away Teams, Journalist, Space & Astrobiology, Lapsed climber.

One response to “Earth Science Community Seeks Assurances From Bridenstine”

  1. Michael Spencer says:
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    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?