Kevin Ulmer : Billions are being spent for space telescopes that explore the universe . He says a more urgent need is to understand how atmospheric carbon dioxide affects life . `` Alien oceans could be detected by telescope , '' headlines a Web report about an article in The Astrophysical Journal Letters by Tyler Robinson and colleagues at NASA . Scientists are developing a system to begin monitoring parts of the Earth . Ulmer says more funding for the project is vital to understanding the global environment .
Kevin Ulmer : Billions are being spent for space telescopes that explore the universe . He says a more urgent need is to understand how atmospheric carbon dioxide affects life . Scientists are developing a system to begin monitoring parts of the Earth . Ulmer says more funding for the project is vital to understanding the global environment .