Shaping the Future of Weather Reporting in America: A Look at Upcoming U.S. Elections and Control Over NOAA
One potentially contentious issue to be decided in the forthcoming U.S. elections: who possesses control and the methodologies of weather forecasting, highlighting a shifting landscape pertaining to extreme weather conditions and their ties to climate change.
This fact has been underscored as Project 2025 – a conservative proposal drafted by the Heritage Foundation – sparked debates by suggesting the privatization of weather forecasts currently undertaken by government agencies like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The proposal, typifying NOAA as a significant player in the ‘climate change alarm industry,’ also advocates for the dismantling of NOAA. On the other hand, a discrete Republican proposal previously introduced in the House espouses transforming NOAA into an independent entity akin to NASA, with critics cautioning about political influence.
Although President Trump’s campaign disavowed involvement in Project 2025, the blueprint is widely conjectured as potentially part of a second Trump administration. The proposed "commercialization" of Weather Service data has not garnered any endorsements from private weather companies. Still, meteorologists and climate scientists raise concerns about the implications of these proposed changes, considering the swelling prospects of a Trump re-election.
During Trump’s term, several scientists reported experiencing silencing, marginalization, or removal over their roles, alleging political misrepresentation of their research in areas such as coronavirus, reproduction, hurricane forecasting, and other environmental focuses. JoAnn Becker, president of the National Weather Service Employees Organization, stated her apprehension for the over 4,000 workers that the union represents within the NOAA and Weather Service.
For months, government agencies such as NOAA and EPA have been bolstering safeguards centered on scientific integrity and job security, in anticipation of possible Trump reappointment. The notorious 2019 incident where Trump used a marker to erroneously suggest that Hurricane Dorian could impact Alabama – later termed ‘Sharpiegate’ – highlights the potential ramifications of political interferences in weather forecasting and climate research.
Project 2025, a 900-page document drafted by right-wing policy experts and former Trump officials, advocates for splitting up NOAA, depicting its climate research as counterproductive to America’s future prosperity. The proposition implies that the Weather Service should fully capitalize its forecasting operations, with the argument that private companies already widely use its data.
Vague speculations are swirling about the implications of transforming the Weather Service into a business-like model. This agency collects extensive data on parameters such as land and sea temperatures, precipitation, and atmospheric conditions. No concrete answers about these changes have been offered by the drafters of Project 2025, or from any Trump campaign representatives or retired Trump administration officials.
Yet, some weather industry insiders have expressed opposition to the idea. Steven R. Smith, chief executive of AccuWeather, said that while his company relies on NOAA’s “foundational data” for its own forecasting software, artificial intelligence, and meteorologists, it does not support the notion of the National Weather Service fully commercializing its operations.
Given the ongoing contestations about NOAA’s future and the White House’s noncommittal stance, what remains evident is the increasing political charge around weather forecasting and climate science in America. With these contested political visions for federal weather agencies, the path forward remains clouded with uncertainty as the U.S. heads into an election season.
