When the elimination of federal work hit the National Marine and Atmospheric Administration and the National Weather Service on Thursday, scientists and environmental advocates denounced the cuts, saying they could cause real harm to Americans.
The full scope of the layoffs across NOAA was not immediately clear, but Democrats said hundreds of scientists and experts were notified of terminated employment. NOAA includes the National Hurricane Centre and the Tsunami Warning Centre – is the latest in federal agencies aimed at reducing government efficiency through Elon Musk.
“The fake mask missions bring important programs to halting screeches,” U.S. Rep. D-Calif, a ranking member of the House Natural Resources Committee, wrote in a statement Thursday. “People across the country rely on NOAA for free, accurate forecasts, harsh weather alerts and emergency information. To banish governments of scientists, experts and career civil servants and cut down basic programs is life-threatening.”
NOAA spokesman Susan Buchanan declined to comment on the cuts in a statement that Congress would not discuss HR issues “by long-standing practice.”
“NOAA is dedicated to its mission and provides timely information, research and resources that serve the American people and ensure our country’s environmental and economic resilience,” Buchanan said. “We continue to provide weather information, forecasts and warnings in line with our public safety mission.”
Several people who identified themselves as NOAA or weather services employees wrote on social media, or that their families received an email on Thursday. Many appeared to be considered trial therapy employees. That means I’ve been hired or promoted recently.
NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory posted on X that it would end its public communications service “due to a decline in staff.” It was not immediately clear how other operations would suffer, but scientists around the world worried about dangerous consequences. NOAA agencies provide important alerts and forecasts in weather emergency and monitor extreme events such as hurricanes, tsunamis and dangerous fires.
“The fact in question is that we cannot fill the void left by the substantive dismantling of NOAA and NWS just as the private sector exists today,” UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain said in a statement on social media. “The additional cuts currently confirmed and rumored to come to NOAA/NWS will be spectacularly myopic and will ultimately deal with a major self-harm on American public safety and resilience of the US economy, and the resilience of the US economy to weather and climate-related disasters.”
The exact nature of the NOAA fire is unknown, but it may be subject to legal review. On Thursday, a federal judge blocked several mass shootings of federal agency probation employees, probably because it was illegal.
However, the massive departure of NOAA employees has shocked environmental advocates and scientists around the world, especially environmental advocates and scientists focusing on climate, environment and weather.
“NOAA hamstrings important lifesaving programs to predict storms, ensure ocean safety and prevent the extinction of whales and ocean otters,” said Sakashita, director of the Marine Programs at the Center for Biodiversity, which works to protect wildlife. “Most Americans want to protect these types of vital government services. We will do everything we can to protect them.”
Juan DeCollette Barrett, a senior social scientist for the Coalition of Climate Vulnerability for the Coalition of Concern Scientists, a member-supported group of scientists, has called for a move from the Trump administration, both about community safety and the future of climate science.
“It will exterminate the country’s core scientific enterprises as it will costly, fatal climate change impacts and extreme weather events will worsen and fly in the face of logic, common sense and financial responsibility,” Declet-Barreto said. “NOAA’s data and science is used on a daily basis by weather forecasters, marinas, farmers, emergency responders, businesses and everyday people across the country. Everyone in the US relies on NOAA in their daily lives, whether they make it happen or not.
Jeff Watters, vice president of foreign affairs for marine reserves, said it is a national nonprofit focused on improving marine health.
“Indiscriminate layoffs of employees will interfere with NOAA’s ability to do the important work that all Americans rely on,” Watters said in a statement. “Noah is our water and air eyes and ears. Our agency tracks our weather and climate. We monitor tide and surf predictions. It allows for safe deployment and navigation of satellites, ships and Doppler radars. It serves as the first responder with weather and hurricane emergency warnings. Tsunami Warning Center. Its oil spill response capabilities. Its marine mammal cross-section network. Its harmful algae blooms early warning systems. NOAA places seafood on the table. Americans rely on NOAA every day, and so does sea health.”
