NOAA Restrictions and Concerns
Subject: Recent Restrictions Imposed on NOAA Scientists and Resulting Concerns
meteorology Matters details new restrictions imposed on scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) under the Trump administration, sparking considerable concern within the agency and among international partners. These restrictions include increased oversight of communications with foreign nationals, additional administrative burdens, and anticipated budget and staffing cuts. These measures are perceived as part of a broader effort to deprioritize climate crisis efforts and potentially privatize parts of NOAA. The changes raise alarms about the potential impact on weather forecasting accuracy, international scientific collaboration, and the availability of crucial climate data.
Key Themes and Ideas:
- Increased Restrictions on International Communication and Collaboration:
- NOAA is implementing new oversight of scientists' email and "virtual meetings" with foreign nationals.
- All "international engagements" require documentation and approval by a Trump political appointee.
- One NOAA Research email stated staff now need to submit any "international engagement" for approval, including travel, face-to-face meetings or gatherings of international organizations. As for whether that includes emails with colleagues of different nationalities, the guidance said: “Not at this time.”
- The National Marine Fisheries Service has told staff to stop all contact with foreign nationals.
- These restrictions are seen as creating an "onerous" administrative burden, especially for the National Weather Service (NWS).
- Concerns About a "Crackdown on Climate" and Politicization of Science:
- A senior NOAA scientist stated, "My expectation is that it’s going to be a crackdown on climate. People are just somewhere between disturbed and terrified."
- Fears stem from previous incidents of scientists being sidelined or muted during Trump's first term.
- Elon Musk’s “department of government efficiency” (Doge), placed the head of Noaa’s human resources team on administrative leave and initiated an agency-wide purge of activities related to diversity, equity and inclusion.
- Budget and Staffing Cuts Looming:
- Employees have reportedly been told to expect a 50% reduction in staff and budget cuts of 30%.
- Project 2025 architect Russell Vought proposed a 38% budget cut for Noaa to “to curb excessive mission creep in key agencies, halt steadily increasing climate extremism within the department, and eliminate the prioritization of woke agendas”.
- "Hundreds" of NOAA staff have reportedly accepted federal buyouts.
- There are reported sweeping efforts to shrink the federal workforce with repeated requests for volunteers who want to resign.
- Potential Impact on Weather Forecasting and Climate Science:
- The restrictions and cuts could "hamper the ability of the US to maintain a functioning public weather service."
- Reduced international collaboration could undermine the ability to "understand and combat" the climate crisis, according to a climate scientist at the EU's Copernicus agency. "The climate crisis knows no boundaries, and halting international scientific collaboration can only undermine our ability to understand and combat it.”
