It's because they both want lots of fundings for cosmic ray observatories. If they claim cosmic rays are critical to the full understanding of global warming, they'll get the funds. And they want big money, after all they are the guys who used to toy with the LEP, LHC, Hubble space telescope, etc...

My guess: they will get their observatories, but not so much money, cos' you can do high-energy physics on counting cosmic rays for pretty cheap actually (just a satellite constellation)

Reminds me of the "particle-beam driven nuclear incinerator" of the Italian nobel, forgot his name. It was indeed a fine way for him to keep his turf running beyond the last wave of pure-science particle accelerators. It didn't make it though.


Pierre