February 19, 2006: Space, Climate, & UFOs - Robert Zimmerman | Gilliland Ranch Sightings - James Gilliland
Space journalist Robert Zimmerman discusses the emerging private space tourism industry, including Space Adventures' deal with Russia and the United Arab Emirates to build a spaceport and suborbital vehicle. He notes that Virgin Galactic, SpaceX, and Jeff Bezos' venture are racing to offer commercial spaceflight by 2008. Zimmerman criticizes Boeing and Lockheed for forming a non-competitive partnership and praises NASA administrator Michael Griffin for breaking the agency's tradition of understating project costs.
The conversation shifts to climate change, where Zimmerman acknowledges that evidence increasingly leans toward global warming but maintains that data remains insufficient for definitive conclusions. Art challenges his skepticism with findings about rising ocean temperatures and shrinking Greenland glaciers. Zimmerman argues that free markets will drive the transition from fossil fuels more effectively than government mandates.
Key Moments
Aerospace engineers describe four UFOs: Russ, a 30-year aerospace engineer, recounts watching four objects over James Gilliland's ranch with about 20 witnesses. They looked like satellites but made distinct course changes and complete stops; one flared bright for five seconds, then zigzagged off into space.
Zimmerman concedes ground on global warming: Bell presses Zimmerman on whether his longstanding climate skepticism has shifted after the Hansen affair and a 60 Minutes report. Zimmerman concedes 'increasing preponderance' of evidence that temperatures are rising, but says causation remains unclear and the strongest data only goes back to the late 1970s.
Kyoto as wealth redistribution, not solution: Zimmerman frames the Kyoto Accords as 'a tool for strengthening third-world nations' economies and hurting first-world nations' economies, redistribution of wealth, essentially' - not a real climate fix - explaining why the Bush administration's refusal to sign isn't the same as denying global warming.
Three colleges, fired for not being a Democrat: Zimmerman tells Bell that he taught at three different colleges and that 'if you are not a left-wing Democrat, you keep your mouth shut if you want to keep your job.' He says he didn't, and that's why he no longer teaches there.
Russia signs first space-tourism deal: Zimmerman reports that about ten days earlier, Space Adventures signed a deal with Russia - the same company that sent Dennis Tito, Mark Shuttleworth, and Greg Olson to the ISS - with a Japanese tourist scheduled within two or three months.