"Why don't we hear about this part of the global warming argument?

"It's the money!" says Dr. Baliunas. "Twenty-five billion dollars in government funding has been spent since 1990 to research global warming. If scientists and researchers were coming out releasing reports that global warming has little to do with man, and most to do with just how the planet works, there wouldn't be as much money to study it." "
http://www.townhall.com/content.aspx?ContentGuid=5183c20a-76cf-4824-8b51-2abe01f09967

I wonder how accurate the 25 billion number is? The govt spends a lot money on climate studies and climate science in general- I wouldn't surprise of we spent far more 25 billion since 1990- just look at the satellite program at NASA for earth science- that's probably more than 25 billion over last 16 years. And of course that is but a fraction of the money spent by govt on this area. But all this can't be called research of global warming.

But had we spent 25 billion dollars on this, I say that would still have been a good investment- because we could have wasted even more more on it, like Europe is currently doing. But I suspect that money wasted by govt on global warming studies has amounted to less money- probably at most a couple billion.

Another way to look at it, is how much has the hysteria over global warming added to this general budget of studies to do with understanding global climate? It reminds me of when Cartman berated South Park mayor, when she said a music festival would add money to the town economy- Hippies don't have money. Which somewhat true in regards to Global warming idiots. Similar to paying attention to Star Trek fans in regards NASA programs. Some immensurable quanity of "feel good" but nothing really substantial gets added to budget because of it.

I think the MONEY is in book and movie deals. I think the power here is related to fame and PR- rather than any sizable chunk of money given by goverment.