【ALL OUT: AJ RAVAL】

California has a back-up plan if President-elect Donald Trump cuts funding for NASA's fleet of Earth-observing satellites,ALL OUT: AJ RAVAL which are crucial to gathering climate change data.

"If Trump turns off the satellites, California will launch its own damn satellite," California Gov. Jerry Brown said to applause during a Dec. 14 speech at an Earth science conference in San Francisco.

"We're going to collect that data."

SEE ALSO: Climate scientists vow to stand up to Trump

Brown was speaking to an energized crowd at the American Geophysical Union's annual fall meeting, which brings together thousands of Earth scientists. Worries about Trump's plans to squelch climate research has been a key topic at the event, with Interior Secretary Sally Jewell also addressing the issue on Wednesday.

Scientists held a rally outside the meeting this week, vowing to "stand up for science" if the Trump administration hinders their work.

Trump's advisers have indicated the incoming administration will target NASA's $2 billion Earth science division, which is responsible for gathering data on everything from rising surface temperatures and greenhouse gas emissions to retreating glaciers, shifting rainfall patterns and changes in vegetation.

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

In an Oct. 19 op-ed, two advisers vowed strip NASA of its "politically correct environmental monitoring" duties and return the agency to its "core missions" of space exploration and science.

"These are the fundamental underpinnings of a Trump civilian space program," Robert Walker, a former congressman, and Peter Navarro, an economist, wrote in Space News.

Walker later told Scientific American that NASA's Earth-centric work could instead be transferred to other agencies, such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Science Foundation.

The budgets for both of those agencies pale in comparison to NASA, and NASA's mission explicitly tasks the space agency with monitoring our home planet.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Back in San Francisco, Brown reminded the crowd that, as California's governor in the 1970s, he had already proposed launching a state-sponsored satellite, earning him the moniker "Governor Moonbeam."

He noted that California -- one of the world's largest economies -- has advanced the nation's most ambitious policies for curbing emissions from power plants, vehicles and agriculture. The Golden State's own work has helped drive national policy under the Obama administration.

"Whatever Washington thinks they're doing, California is the future," Brown said.

Video credit: American Geophysical Union

Topics Donald Trump

• Games
• Tech
• Digital Culture
• Science
• Entertainment
• Deals
• Shopping
• Social Good

• Bafflersplainer: Win the Future
• Amber Rose's 'fire ass feminist post' too hot for Instagram
• Sweet Jesus, the new 21.5
• 'Game of Thrones' Season 7 wants a world record for setting people on fire
• Never Get Off The Boat
• The Oakland A's just ended Wendy's on Twitter while defending the Warriors' honor
• We ran 'Game of Thrones' characters through Amazon's facial recognition software
• This Braille learning tool could be a game changer for the blind community
• Hyperspeed of the Immediate
• The creepiest videos from the robotics company Google just sold

• 4 AI features already integrated into TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram and more
• Stormers vs. Munster 2024 livestream: Watch United Rugby Championship for free
• Best Garmin deal: Save $135 on the Venu 2S
• Best fitness tracker deal: Save $50 on the Fitbit Google Ace
• Michigan vs. Illinois livestream: Kickoff time, streaming deals, and more
• FCC: Hearing aid compatibility mandatory for all smartphones
• Best Apple Watch deal: Get an Apple Watch Series 10 for a new low price
• Penguin Random House copyright pages will now forbid AI training
• X to allow third parties to train AI on your posts
• Sharks vs. Warriors 2024 livestream: Watch United Rugby Championship for free

• Fascism for Dummies
• Manspreading is now banned on public transit in Madrid for the good of humanity
• Apple is moving the location of the volume indicator in iOS 11
• Windows 10 Creators Update preview build teases new features
• Boys to Men
• Tracer and her girlfriend are now 'Overwatch' official
• The secret, real winner of the Taylor Swift
• Sex discrimination lawsuits pile up in Silicon Valley—and there's no end in sight
• A Coalition Government of the Heart
• A new Alexa skill will help you set the mood. Oh, and buy condoms.

• Go Tell it in the Mountain State
• Hackers takeover Twitter accounts to spread fake news
• Optimistic hero tries to save flooded street one bucket full of water at a time
• British politics right now is straight out of 'Veep,' says its creator
• The Whimper of Democracy
• We really need to talk about 3
• Facebook patents show multiple new ways to harness our emotions
• Windows 10 Creators Update preview build teases new features
• I Still Know What You Did Last Summer
• Apple bounces Pepe the Frog out of the App Store, back to alt