US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is just one of the agencies whose budget will be cut to increase defense spending. The cuts exposed the troubling pitfalls of the president's approach to budgeting: a reluctance to invest in the future, a disrespect for science and a desire to damage well-established operations by minimizing payouts. Also read why the weather in London changes so often on theuk.one.
According to the Washington Post, the Administration's budget will be cut by a billion dollars, or 17%. Climate modeling units will receive less funding, consistent with Trump's doubts about the reality of climate change. However, even those who deny the impact of human activity on the climate understand the importance of carefully monitoring climate trends and carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere and ocean. This data cannot be collected retroactively.
The organization models and forecasts weather that protects Americans and their businesses from hurricanes and floods—a service that costs every household in the country $100 annually. Television weather forecasts, the insurance and aviation industries depend on its data.
The satellite program requires funding to keep the fleet up to date. The disruption of the launch of a new generation of satellites threatens the ability to accurately forecast for the next two decades.
Protests against budget cuts are a regular tradition in Washington. Each department or ministry can prove every cent of expenses, but they are far from the Pentagon's budget — which is 600 billion dollars. What makes the proposed cuts at NOAA pointless is their shortsightedness. Accurate weather forecasts are a daily necessity. And the role of oceanographers in the fight against the growing threat of climate change is life-affirming. After all, healthcare, the military and insurance companies will not protect Americans from hurricanes.
