Rep. Gohmert , Asks if Altering Earth’s Orbit, Could Help Fight Global Warming.
Rep. Gohmert , Asks if Altering Earth’s Orbit, Could Help Fight Global Warming.
On June 8, Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) asked Jennifer Eberlien, associate deputy chief of the National Forest System.
if it was possible to alter the orbit of the moon or the Earth as a way of
combating climate change.
'The Hill' reports that
it remains unclear whether
Gohmert was joking or not. .
As NASA explains in a blog post,
the shape of Earth's orbit changes over
a cycle that takes about 100,000 years.
The orbit is currently about as
close to being circular as it can be.
Over the course of tens of thousands
of years, the tilt of the Earth also shifts
slightly or "wobbles" on its axis.
These changes are called Milanković cycles after Serbian astronomer Milutin Milanković.
These shifts have both
short-term and long-term
effects on Earth's climate.
According to NASA, they have a relatively minor impact on Earth's seasons and
do not play a role in global warming