{"id":799,"date":"2025-12-19T15:54:26","date_gmt":"2025-12-19T16:54:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/attorneycalendar.com\/?p=799"},"modified":"2025-12-24T11:26:21","modified_gmt":"2025-12-24T11:26:21","slug":"i-worked-at-noaa-for-30-years-and-know-trumps-attack-on-colorados-world-class-science-labs-puts-us-all-at-risk-opinion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/attorneycalendar.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/19\/i-worked-at-noaa-for-30-years-and-know-trumps-attack-on-colorados-world-class-science-labs-puts-us-all-at-risk-opinion\/","title":{"rendered":"I worked at NOAA for 30 years, and know Trump\u2019s attack on Colorado\u2019s world-class science labs puts us all at risk (Opinion)"},"content":{"rendered":"

In a major escalation of this administration\u2019s attack on science and weather research, the Office of Management and Budget is saying it plans to break up the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)<\/a> in Boulder. It accuses this renowned institution of \u201cclimate alarmism,\u201d and \u201cgreen new scam activities.\u201d<\/p>\n

As any climate scientist will tell you, we simply do not have time for this foolishness. If we do not defend these treasured scientific institutions right away, Trump will do to science what he did to the White House\u2019s East Wing, and we will feel the fallout in all of our communities.<\/p>\n

For over half a century, Colorado has been a hub of innovation and research for the federal government through the work of NCAR and the four National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) research labs in Boulder. These institutions generate cutting-edge scientific advances, along with weather and greenhouse gas data that the country relies on to stay safe from weather and climate disasters. The president\u2019s plans for NCAR and proposed budget for the NOAA labs would shut these labs down or dramatically reduce their funding, compromising our country\u2019s ability to provide early warning and to inform preparedness for wildfires, droughts, floods and other extreme weather and climate impacts.<\/p>\n

I served as the director of one of the NOAA labs until my retirement earlier this year, and worked to advance the prediction of extreme weather events, among other things. That included minimizing impacts to major infrastructure systems that are too important to fail, such as nuclear facilities, high-hazard dams and flood control levees.<\/p>\n

Research from the NOAA labs helps improve the predictability of wildfire behavior, from minutes to hours, and wildfire risks, from days to weeks, to allow officials to strategically position resources in advance. It also helps predict the availability of water and conditions leading to drought, which informs how we manage water resources in arid regions in the West.<\/p>\n

Watching the shrinking of NOAA staff this year \u2013 through dismissals and early retirements \u2013 has been indescribable. I am disheartened and frustrated to witness this attempt to push the nation\u2019s top-notch scientific talent out of the government. With this attack on the agency, its operations, and on scientific integrity, the Boulder laboratories stand to lose critical expertise the country needs to produce cutting-edge science that will support future decision making.<\/p>\n

The research activities NCAR and the NOAA labs in Boulder conduct are predominant sources of authoritative weather and climate data, forecasts of extreme weather and predictions of changes in climate. The administration would rather pretend: if we don\u2019t see it, study it, or predict it, then it doesn\u2019t exist.<\/p>\n