The Republican Party now controls both houses of Congress and Donald Trump will start a second term as president of the United States. A conservative agenda called Project 2025 is back in focus, which includes breaking up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The proposal would reorganize NOAA’s functions and offices, potentially eliminating or privatizing some operations.
Project 2025 was produced by a coalition of organizations affiliated with the Heritage Foundation. The plan calls for defunding the U.S. Department of Justice, criminalizing pornography, and abolishing the U.S. Department of Education. Although Trump has distanced himself from Project 2025 during his campaign, critics have linked him to its leadership.
NOAA oversees climate and ocean research agencies, including the National Weather Service. A former Commerce Department official argues that NOAA’s functions could be provided commercially at a lower cost with higher quality. However, scientists and meteorologists are concerned about the potential risks of privatizing weather data, which could pose barriers for financially strapped local government agencies.
AccuWeather’s CEO stated that the company disagrees with Project 2025’s proposal and has not suggested that NOAA should fully commercialize its operations. The company emphasizes the importance of public-private partnerships in maintaining robust weather infrastructure and disseminating data.
Critics argue that private companies cannot improve upon the weather service’s forecasts, which are already publicly available. They also point out that private forecasters do not issue public weather warnings. Senator Ted Cruz is expected to lead the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, but his stance on dismantling NOAA remains unclear.
Source: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-weather/article/texas-project-2025-noaa-trump-19897335.php