Reply #4: Others are taking up the slack, I think

[Dead_Parrot]

I think the problem is that the US has always been so far ahead, with such massive budgets, there hasn't been any point until recently. For instance, in 1999, NASA's Earth Science budget was about $1.4 billion, NOAA's National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service budget was over $600m, with another $250m for Oceanic and Atmospheric Research. That's over $2 billion from just those two agencies: Other governments weren't going to spend that amount to just duplicate the work, so it was left up to an America that seemed happy to show off both it's financial clout and big, bulging brains.

And now it's all turned to custard. It'll all get sorted out eventually, but needless to say now is not the time to have a huge chunk of the world's climate science unplugged by a boozed up cowboy. The other major governments are now rummaging down the back of the sofa looking for a few billion in loose change, but even when the teams are pulled together and the facilities built, that won't replace the experience we've lost.