A Leading Climate Agency May Lose Its Climate Focus
By John Schwartz
The Trump administration appears to be planning to shift the mission of one of the most important federal science agencies that works on climate change — away from climate change.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which is part of the Department of Commerce, operates a constellation of earth-observing satellites. Because of its work on climate science data collection and analysis, it has become one of the most important American agencies for making sense of the warming planet. But that focus may shift, according to a slide presentation at a Department of Commerce meeting by Tim Gallaudet, the acting head of the agency.
In the presentation, which included descriptions of the past and present missions for the agency, the past mission listed three items, starting with “to understand and predict changes in climate, weather, oceans and coasts.” In contrast, for the present mission, the word “climate” was gone, and the first line was replaced with “to observe, understand and predict atmospheric and ocean conditions.”
The presentation also included a new emphasis: “To protect lives and property, empower the economy, and support homeland and national security.”
Full story here
Anthony Watts comments:
While this no doubt has climate warriors in a tizzy, who’ll likely be screaming and protesting soon, I’ll have to agree and say that a total of removal of climate from the NOAA mission is probably not a good idea.
Limiting the scope of the agency to data collection and short-term climate forecasting (such as seasonal outlooks done regularly by CPC) would probably be a better strategy. Will still need data collection, and we still need these short term climate forecasts for a wide variety of interests.
Limiting NOAA’s proselytizing about gloom and doom and tinkering with climate data such as Karl et al did in 2015 to remove “the pause” would be a better approach in my view.
If the Trump administration really wants to limit the gloom and doom, getting rid of NASA GISS GISTEMP climate division and the feckless Gavin Schmidt would be the best approach. The agency was formed to study planetary situations for NASA missions, not to study the climate of Earth. It’s a redundant agency, using NOAA’s climate data and then bollixing it to fit their viewpoint. Further, Schmidt has shown time and again that he’s lost the principles of what science really should be about, and has become more of an advocate than a scientist, much like his predecessor James Hansen, who would regularly get himself arrested at protests.
Eliminate NASA GISTEMP, for the good of America. Make Climate Great Again!
h/t to Eric Worral
