New York Times, “Science Foundation Backs Climate-Change Play“:

The National Science Foundation has awarded a $700,000 grant to the Civilians, a New York theater company, to finance the production of a show about climate change. “The Great Immensity,” with a book by Steven Cosson (“This Beautiful City”) and music and lyrics by Michael Friedman (“Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson”), tells the story of Polly, a photojournalist who disappears while working in the rain forests of Panama. The grant is a rare gift to an arts organization from the foundation, a federal agency that pays for science, engineering and mathematics research and education. The company says it plans to spend the money on the development and evaluation of the show, as well as on a tour and educational programs, including post-show panel discussions with experts in related scientific fields. No performance dates have been announced.

The National Association of Manufacturers has called for enactment of the America COMPETES Act, which, among its many research-related provisions, increased authorization for the National Science Foundation spending. The idea was that the NSF could support more research and science — not politicized theater. We already have a federal agency that does that.

The bill, H.R. 5116, did pass the House at the end of June, 262-150. Federal agencies showing themselves to be poor stewards of the taxpayers’ dollar makes it harder to argue the case in the Senate.

Via Mark Hemingway, Washington Examiner, “Your tax dollars at work: National Science Foundation gives $700K grant to theater company for play on climate change.”

Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), speaking today to the National Association of Manufacturers, at the “Leadership Luncheon”:

At a time when innovation is the driving force of how we grow economies worldwide, science, research and development have to be at the top of our agenda. Unfortunately, we’ve seen R&D funding in the United States fall to sixth in the world in terms of the percentage of our GDP. Sixth is not high enough. Again, if you look at historic numbers, post WWII, America has always led in its R&D efforts. We’ve seen those efforts cut back in terms of …it’s too often easy enough to cut those efforts in the short term, in the long term we will pay for those cutbacks.

What do we need? Well, we do need more federal efforts in R&D. That does NOT mean that the federal government should be picking technology winners and losers. That should be left to the marketplace. But in terms of basic research the federal government, I believe, should play an increasingly important role.

By coincidence, Newt Gingrich on NPR’s “Morning Edition” this morning:

There are smart things the government should do. I favor, for example, doubling the size of the National Science Foundation. I think it’s absolutely imperative that we make the investment to remain the world’s leader in science and technology.

Senator Warner’s remarks on technologry and R&D were cited in an NAM news release today, “SENATOR WARNER (D-VA) SHARES WITH MANUFACTURERS HIS VISION FOR STRENGTHENING AMERICA’S COMPETITIVENESS.”