Fifty former top NASA scientists engineers and astronauts attack NASA policy on climate

    Fifty former top NASA scientists, engineers and astronauts have attacked the present NASA climate policy in a strongly worded letter to the NASA administrator in Washington:
       "we believe the claims by NASA and GISS (Goddard Institute for Space Studies) that man made carbon dioxide is having a catastrophic impact on global climate change are not substantiated, especially when considering thousands of years of empirical data.  With hundreds of well-known climate scientists and tens of thousands of other scientists publicily declaring their disbelief in the catastrophic forecasts, coming particularly from the GISS leadership, it is clear that the science is NOT settled. As former NASA employees,we feel that NASA`s advocacy of an extreme position , prior to a thorough study of the possible overwhelming impact of natural climate drivers is inappropriate.   We request that NASA refrain from including unproven and unsupported remarks in its future releases and websites on this subject.  At risk is damage to the exemplary reputation of NASA, NASA`s current or former scientists and employees, and the reputation of science itself.

          ( the letter was signed by among others, the former Director of the Johnson Space Center  Gerald C Griffin, the former Deputy Director of the Space Shuttle Programme  Leroy Day, the former Apollo flight director Dr C Kraft,  former Apollo astronauts Charles Duke (Apollo 16), Dr Harrison Schmitt(Apollo 17), Al Worden (Apollo 15), Walter Cunningham (Apollo 17)).