The Trump administration abruptly fired hundreds of probationary employees at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), impacting approximately 10% of its workforce. These cuts disproportionately affected long-term employees recently promoted or transferred, resulting in the loss of significant institutional knowledge and expertise. Critics, including former NOAA officials and members of Congress, decried the firings as shortsighted and dangerous, arguing they will compromise NOAA’s ability to provide vital weather forecasting, climate data, and other critical services. The firings have been condemned as reckless and potentially life-threatening.
Read More
In a recent NOAA briefing, researchers omitted any mention of the link between January’s record high global temperatures and human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, a departure from previous practices. This omission occurred despite the briefing acknowledging record-high temperatures and despite direct questions about the role of climate change. The head of NOAA’s monitoring branch cited factors such as reduced air pollution and cloud cover as potential explanations, but this explanation fails to account for the overall warming trend. This silence comes amidst increased scrutiny of US scientific agencies under the Trump administration and a broader effort to downplay the role of climate change in government reports and communications.
Read More
As a long-time government employee, the news of Project 2025’s plans to dismantle the federal agency that tracks hurricanes strikes a nerve with me. The reasoning behind this decision seems absurd at best and utterly dangerous at worst. Why would anyone think it’s a good idea to abolish a crucial agency responsible for monitoring and predicting one of the most destructive natural disasters on the planet?
The fact that this move is driven by the desire to privatize the functions of the NOAA raises major red flags. Privatizing such essential services opens the door for exploitation by billionaire contractors who are more concerned with profits than public safety.… Continue reading
John Q. Hosedrinker 
Matt Underwood