The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which includes the National Weather Service (NWS), is a vital partner in the nation’s weather enterprise. They provide essential products and services that benefit the U.S. economy and the health and safety of us all. Citizens and businesses rely on accurate and timely forecasts. Due to the inexplicable decisions of the current administration, many NOAA and NWS employees have been terminated without cause.
These recent terminations will have far-reaching consequences for public safety and the nation’s economic well-being. NOAA professionals on ‘probationary status’ are not just new employees; some have recently been awarded with career advancements resulting from their outstanding work that helps safeguard our communities by helping to keep all of us informed, prepared, and safe.
The weather enterprise of our nation includes a critical private-public partnership. The outcome of this partnership includes timely weather forecasts and information that protect people, improve livelihoods, save money, and add tremendous economic value across our nation. This successful partnership includes opportunities and responsibilities of the federal government, private business, and universities. NOAA provides crucial foundational support to this partnership, including collecting scientific observations, maintaining computer facilities, improving weather models, and providing public weather forecasts and warnings: products and services that are freely accessible to all. Universities train the future workforce while conducting research that advances our understanding of weather and climate processes. Private businesses use this foundation of data, science, and services to create value-added products for their clients.
This public-private partnership has been cultivated over many years and through persistent efforts of organizations such as the American Meteorological Society. The recent injudicious firings of NOAA and NWS employees will dismantle a critical public service and pull apart a crucially needed and successful public-private partnership.
Steve Ackerman and Jonathan Martin, professors in the UW-Madison department of atmospheric and oceanic sciences, are guests on WHA radio (970 AM) at noon the last Monday of each month. Send them your questions at stevea@ssec.wisc.edu or jemarti1@wisc.edu.
