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eNCA
23-05-2025
- Climate
- eNCA
US braces for intense hurricane season as climate agency is gutted
WASHINGTON - The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicted a more intense Atlantic hurricane season this year -- even as the Trump administration moves to gut the agency's workforce and slash its budget. NOAA is forecasting a 60 percent chance of an above-normal season, with between 13 to 19 named storms with winds of 63km/h or higher. Of those, six to 10 are expected to become hurricanes with winds of 74 mph or higher, including three to five major hurricanes classed as categories three, four, or five, with sustained winds of at least 111 mph. There is also a 30 percent chance of a near-normal season and a 10 percent chance of a below-normal season, the agency said. The administration is also seeking to dismantle the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), calling for it to be shut down and its duties instead handed to individual states. FEMA's acting head, Cameron Hamilton -- who was appointed by the Trump administration -- was fired earlier this month after saying that eliminating the agency was not "in the best interests of the American people." - Warming oceans - The forecast cites a confluence of factors: neutral conditions in the El Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) climate pattern, warmer-than-average ocean temperatures, predictions of weak wind shear, and increased activity from the West African Monsoon -- the starting point for Atlantic hurricanes. "As we witnessed last year with significant inland flooding from hurricanes Helene and Debby, the impacts of hurricanes can reach far beyond coastal communities," said Acting NOAA Administrator Laura Grimm in a statement. "NOAA is critical for the delivery of early and accurate forecasts and warnings, and provides the scientific expertise needed to save lives and property." But Rick Spinrad, the former NOAA administrator, told AFP he was deeply concerned about the agency's ability to respond following mass layoffs of meteorologists, technicians and other key personnel, spearheaded by Elon Musk's so-called "Department of Government Efficiency." "I worry about the ability to fly the aircraft, run the models, answer the phones as these storms start bearing down on the country -- at the same time that the Weather Service is going to have to be dealing with tornadoes, wildfires, floods, extreme precipitation," said Spinrad. Seawater temperatures have been rising for decades as a result of burning fossil fuels, Spinrad added. "So it's not a surprise, and undoubtedly, climate change has contributed to some of the ocean temperatures that are a major factor in this forecast." President Donald Trump is seeking to cut NOAA's research operations budget by $1.3 billion next year. Project 2025 -- the conservative blueprint the administration is using to guide its second-term agenda -- has labelled the agency a key driver of "climate alarmism." Last year, five storms that were big enough that they were assigned names caused economic losses exceeding a billion dollars, adjusted for inflation, according to NOAA. The deadliest of these was Helene, responsible for 250 US deaths — the most since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The Trump administration announced earlier this month it will stop updating its billion-dollar disaster database, which for 44 years illustrated the rising cost of climate destabilisation.
France 24
22-05-2025
- Climate
- France 24
US braces for intense hurricane season as climate agency is gutted
NOAA is forecasting a 60 percent chance of an above-normal season, with between 13 to 19 named storms with winds of 39 mph (63 kph) or higher. Of those, six to 10 are expected to become hurricanes with winds of 74 mph or higher, including three to five major hurricanes classed as categories three, four, or five, with sustained winds of at least 111 mph. There is also a 30 percent chance of a near-normal season and a 10 percent chance of a below-normal season, the agency said. The administration is also seeking to dismantle the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), calling for it to be shut down and its duties instead handed to individual states. FEMA's acting head, Cameron Hamilton -- who was appointed by the Trump administration -- was fired earlier this month after saying that eliminating the agency was not "in the best interests of the American people." Warming oceans The forecast cites a confluence of factors: neutral conditions in the El Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) climate pattern, warmer-than-average ocean temperatures, predictions of weak wind shear, and increased activity from the West African Monsoon -- the starting point for Atlantic hurricanes. "As we witnessed last year with significant inland flooding from hurricanes Helene and Debby, the impacts of hurricanes can reach far beyond coastal communities," said Acting NOAA Administrator Laura Grimm in a statement. "NOAA is critical for the delivery of early and accurate forecasts and warnings, and provides the scientific expertise needed to save lives and property." But Rick Spinrad, the former NOAA administrator, told AFP he was deeply concerned about the agency's ability to respond following mass layoffs of meteorologists, technicians and other key personnel, spearheaded by Elon Musk's so-called "Department of Government Efficiency." "I worry about the ability to fly the aircraft, run the models, answer the phones as these storms start bearing down on the country -- at the same time that the Weather Service is going to have to be dealing with tornadoes, wildfires, floods, extreme precipitation," said Spinrad. Seawater temperatures have been rising for decades as a result of burning fossil fuels, Spinrad added. "So it's not a surprise, and undoubtedly, climate change has contributed to some of the ocean temperatures that are a major factor in this forecast." President Donald Trump is seeking to cut NOAA's research operations budget by $1.3 billion next year. Project 2025 -- the conservative blueprint the administration is using to guide its second-term agenda -- has labeled the agency a key driver of "climate alarmism." Last year, five storms that were big enough that they were assigned names caused economic losses exceeding a billion dollars, adjusted for inflation, according to NOAA. The deadliest of these was Helene, responsible for 250 US deaths — the most since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The Trump administration announced earlier this month it will stop updating its billion-dollar disaster database, which for 44 years illustrated the rising cost of climate destabilization.
CBS News
12-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
NOAA could face 25% budget cut, slashing climate research, under draft proposal
An internal government document proposes significant changes for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration along with a 25% cut to its 2026 budget, according to a draft obtained by CBS News from three sources. The cuts hit the agency's research functions hardest. Under the proposal, Oceanic and Atmospheric Research would be eliminated as an office, as well as all funding for climate, weather and ocean laboratories, cooperative institutes and several other programs, according to the document obtained by CBS News. The memo is labeled "pre-decisional," considered an initial proposal by the Office of Budget and Management, during the so-called "passback" process. During "passback," agencies can appeal decisions to OMB, according to the Congressional Research Service. The draft document proposes a $1.672 billion reduction from 2025 funding levels for NOAA , saying "passback levels support a leaner NOAA that focuses on core operational needs, eliminates unnecessary levels of bureaucracy, terminates nonessential grant programs, and ends activities that do not warrant a Federal role." Current and former NOAA officials describe the memo's objective as "devastating," saying research is the backbone to improving services to the public. "When you cut the research, you cut the ability to improve the forecasts and the predictions," Former NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad told CBS News Friday. "It's not just hurricanes or tornadoes. The climate side of things includes seasonal outlook. So if precipitation which are used obviously by the agricultural community, the insurance and reinsurance industry wants information about," Spinrad said. One current NOAA employee, speaking to CBS News anonymously out of fear of retaliation, said they are most concerned about the memo's "complete disregard for how important Earth systems research is for human survival." National Weather Service funding would remain the same, but the draft proposes to move the Space Weather Prediction Center, which monitors conditions like solar flares and geomagnetic storms , from NOAA to the Department of Homeland Security. Within the Office of Space Commerce, viewed as a growing priority within NOAA , the passback proposes to terminate the Traffic Coordination System for Space, tasked with helping to coordinate space traffic and guard against collisions. It proposes potentially transferring "useful elements of TraCSS effort to a non-government entity." Congressional Democrats are also sounding the alarm over the proposal. "Trump's budget plan for NOAA is both outrageous and dangerous. They're wholly destroying critical offices, like NOAA's Oceanic and Atmospheric Research line office, which is foundational to the agency's mission to protect life and property," said Rep. Zoe Lofgren, a Democrat from California and the ranking member of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology. While sources at NOAA say they have been successful in the past of objecting to the Office of Management and Budget during the "passback" period, they worry it will be much more difficult to appeal under the current administration. "No final funding decisions have been made," OMB spokeswoman Alexandra McCandless said. The White House has not responded to a request for comment.
The Guardian
11-04-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Documents reveal Trump's plan to gut funding for Nasa and climate science
Donald Trump shows no signs of easing his assault on climate science as plans of more sweeping cuts to key US research centers surfaced on Friday. The administration is planning to slash budgets at both the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (Noaa) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa), according to internal budget documents, taking aim specifically at programs used to study impacts from the climate crisis. Craig McLean, a longtime director of the office of oceanic and atmospheric research (OAR) who retired in 2022, told the Guardian that the cuts were draconian and would 'compromise the safety, economic competitiveness, and security of the American people'. If the plan is approved by Congress, funding for OAR would be eviscerated – cut from $485m to $171m – dismantling an important part of the agency's mission. All budgets for climate, weather and ocean laboratories would be drained, according to the document reviewed by the Guardian, which states: 'At this funding level, OAR is eliminated as a line office.' 'The elimination of Noaa's research line office and all of its research capabilities is a crushing blow to the ability of our country to protect our citizens and also to lead the world,' said the former Noaa administrator Rick Spinrad, adding that the document included 'an extraordinarily devastating set of recommendations'. The proposal would also cut more than $324m from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), instructing the agency to align its work with administration priorities to 'unleash American energy'. Species-recovery grants, habitat conservation and restoration, and the interjurisdictional fisheries grant program, which supports coordinated management and research with the states, would all lose funding. The document also outlines a plan to move the NMFS under the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Noaa is facing a $1.3bn cut to overall operations and research, with various programs on the chopping block, and the National Ocean Service would be cut in half. Science done outside the agency would also be undermined with cuts to Noaa's climate research grants program, which provides roughly $70m a year. 'It's a really disturbing and concerning development – but I would say it is not all that surprising,' Spinrad said of the plans outlined in the document, noting that there have been many indications the administration would take steps such as these. 'But it also has an element of randomness associated with it,' he added. 'There are specific programs called out, the reasons for which are absolutely not clear.' The fallout from cuts this deep, should Congress adopt the president's plan, would be felt in communities around the world, and in far-ranging sectors, from agriculture to emergency management. 'By making a complete divestiture in science and in our research enterprise, we are basically saying we are not interested in improving our quality of life or our economy,' Spinrad said. The administration also outlined plans to severely defund research at Nasa, the country's space agency. The agency is slated for a 20% overall budget loss, but deeper cuts would be directed at programs overseeing planetary science, earth science and astrophysics research, according to Ars Technica, which first on Trump's plans when agency officials were briefed last month. Sign up to This Week in Trumpland A deep dive into the policies, controversies and oddities surrounding the Trump administration after newsletter promotion Now documents have been issued to back up those plans, halving funding for science at Nasa. The plan for Nasa would also scrap a series of missions, including some that the federal government has already poured billions of taxpayer dollars into. The Nancy Grace Roman space telescope, which could offer glimpses into distant galaxies after its scheduled launch next year, is among them, along with the Mars Sample Return and the Davinci mission to Venus. The Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, which employs roughly 10,000 people, would also be closed. 'This is an extinction-level event for Nasa science,' Casey Dreier, chief of space policy for the Planetary Society, told the Washington Post. 'It needlessly terminates functional, productive science missions and cancels new missions currently being built, wasting billions of taxpayer dollars in the process. This is neither efficient nor smart budgeting.' Still not set in stone, these 'passback' documents are a part of how the government goes about budgeting. They are issued by the White House to federal agencies before the discretionary budget is released and are seen as a guidance on presidential priorities. The numbers aren't final and could be changed, and Congress will also have to act on the plans to finalize them. Spinrad is confident that many legislators won't support the cuts. 'Many of the actions put forward by [the White House's office of management and budget] are in direct contradiction to congressional intent,' he said. 'Zeroing out programs that Congress has worked hard to authorize over the years – that's a clarion call to specific members and sponsors.' There's also likely to be strong pushback from the public and from industries that rely on the tools and services made possible by the country's scientists. But the drastic degree of these cuts also shows the administration's position on climate science and its determination to hamper US research, experts say. That alone is enough to cause concern. 'This proposal will cost lives,' McLean said of the document if it is enacted. 'When a room full of doctors tell you that it's cancer, firing the doctors does not cure you.'
