Red, Wine, and Blue: Why are Republicans defunding the Weather Service?

Understanding the Attack on the National Weather Service: Project 2025's Blueprint for Dismantling a Public Good

Amidst a backdrop of increasingly extreme weather events, including powerful hurricanes causing widespread power outages and destruction, a video explores a seemingly counterintuitive action by the Trump administration: the proposed defunding and dismantling of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and its crucial component, the National Weather Service. Far from a simple cost-saving measure, the video argues this action is a direct implementation of a specific political agenda outlined in a document known as Project 2025.

NOAA, established in 1970 to provide "better protection of life and property from natural hazards and a better understanding of the environment," encompasses several vital departments, including the National Ocean Service. Its work is foundational to daily life and critical industries. NOAA data is essential for guiding airplane safety at airports, informing farmers when to plant crops, helping fishing companies determine safe conditions at sea, and assisting construction companies in assessing risks like wildfires or flooding. Furthermore, the weather apps and local forecasts relied upon by individual Americans for everything from planning a hike to packing for vacation ultimately derive their information from NOAA's federal data. The source warns that if you are frustrated by inaccurate weather reports now, the situation will worsen without a reliable weather service. The National Weather Service has a long history, with origins dating back to 1807.

However, according to the video, this essential agency has been under significant attack. The Trump administration's actions have included laying off around a thousand employees with plans to eventually cut nearly 20% of NOAA's 12,000-person workforce and slashing $1.6 billion from its budget. Specific operational impacts mentioned include cancelling weather balloon launches, shutting down websites, and cutting language translation services, which prevents non-English speakers from receiving important warnings. Dysfunction is rampant, with instances of employees being laid off, rehired, and then laid off again. A former deputy director described the situation as "devastating," predicting that within a year, people would notice things are missing, enabling critics to falsely claim government inefficiency rather than acknowledging deliberate disruption.

Financially, these cuts appear illogical. Studies indicate that every dollar invested in NOAA actually saves six dollars. This saving comes from mitigating the billions of dollars in damage, disruptions to trade, and agricultural losses caused by extreme weather events. Projections show the global economy could lose $38 trillion annually by 2049 solely due to climate change.

This brings the discussion to the link with climate change. The video explicitly connects the defunding of NOAA to the administration's stance on climate change. The source states that Trump has consistently defunded climate research and removed references to climate change since taking office, including withdrawing the US from the Paris Agreement. While not detailing the scientific evidence, the video asserts there is almost unanimous agreement among scientists (100% according to a 2019 review) that the Earth is warming rapidly, primarily due to human activity and increased carbon dioxide. Recent years, like 2024 and 2023, have set records for global temperatures. The video describes NOAA's role in climate science as simply "responding to reality", making the attack on the agency particularly concerning.

The true explanation for the cuts, according to the video, is found in Project 2025, described as a "900-page Farright Manifesto". NOAA and the Weather Service are directly mentioned in this document. The source quotes a sentiment from Project 2025 stating that NOAA "should be dismantled and many of its functions eliminated," accusing the agency of being "one of the main drivers of the climate change alarm industry". The video notes the appointment of Russell Vought, a main author of Project 2025, as the head of the Office of Management and Budget, the office responsible for ordering these budget cuts.

The ultimate goal attributed to Project 2025's plan for NOAA is to transform the Weather Service into a "private for-profit service". The video argues forcefully that certain things, like weather information, should remain a "public good" accessible to everyone, similar to schools and parks. Privatizing this data would primarily benefit the "millionaires and billionaires" who own the companies controlling access to this information.

Beyond the operational impacts, the cuts have a human cost, notably affecting young scientists. The video shares the story of Rebecca, a research fish biologist who was fired from her dream job at the Marine Fisheries Service. Her experience highlights how indiscriminate firings not only jeopardize NOAA's ongoing scientific work but also send a message to the next generation that science careers are unstable and undervalued. This is particularly concerning given the vital need for skilled scientists to navigate the challenges of an uncertain future regarding the atmosphere and oceans.

In conclusion, the video posits that the defunding of the National Weather Service and NOAA is not merely budgetary but a strategic move aligned with the Project 2025 agenda. By dismantling and seeking to privatize this essential public service, particularly its climate-related functions, the aim is to hinder the acknowledgment of climate change and create opportunities for profit from what should be universally accessible data. This ultimately leaves the public less prepared for the growing threat of climate disasters.