Theodore Baldwin Boothe III wrote:
I know throwing money at something isn't always the best thing to do,
but if you in the climate/weather sciences had something on your wish
list what would it be?

Increase the budget?

Fundamental breakthroughs in knowledge. The trouble is
we think such breakthroughs are possible, but we can't
prove it ahead of time. If we knew the results, it wouldn't
be research. If they are possible we might find them
with the present level of funding, or we might need more
funding. If they are not possible, then no amount of
funding will produce them. It is certain that few discoveries
will be made if no one tries, and it is difficult to try without
funding.

The assumption of science is that with enough work we
can figure out almost anything, but there are limits. We've
been trying to develop nuclear fusion power for 50 years.
We know it can be done, but can it be done outside of a
star or a bomb in such a way that we can generate power
practically? We have not done it yet, despite years of
optimistic predictions that the next generation of
experiments would show us how. Maybe tomorrow
someone will wake up with the answer, or it may take 50
more years, or maybe never. We know more than we
would have without spending hundreds of millions of
dollars over the years, but frankly in terms of kilowatts
generated per dollar of research the return on investment
is still negative.

Or something else?

Geniuses devoted to research. But even geniuses need
to eat.

Also, is there something (I) can do to either help get this done or
get more involved?

You're asking questions, which is more than most people
do. Write your representatives in Congress and the White
House with your concerns. It may not help, but silence
is like not spending money on research: no results if you
don't try.


I have a degree but it has very little, actually nothing, to do with
climate or weather.

thanks,

Cheers,
Russell