NOAA Data Reductions Fuel Global Concerns Over Climate, Weather Research
(MENAFN) Scientists in New Zealand are raising alarms about the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) decision to decommission several public scientific databases, fearing the global consequences for weather and climate research.
The NOAA recently revealed plans to discontinue data sources related to earthquakes and marine, coastal, and estuarine sciences. This decision has fueled concerns about the growing lack of public access to scientific data in the U.S., amidst a broader decline in federal support for research.
Prof. James Renwick, a climate scientist at Victoria University of Wellington, expressed his worry on Thursday, stating, "The loss of environmental services and products eat away at our knowledge of the world around us. The recent news of cuts to the NOAA and the NWS (National Weather Service) have been hugely concerning for weather, climate and climate sciences worldwide."
Prof. Craig Stevens from the University of Auckland’s Department of Physics shared similar concerns, pointing out that the global scientific community has worked for years to improve access to environmental data.
"These closures make this findability harder, and moreover, it is likely the tip of the iceberg in terms of coming impacts of reduced funding," Stevens commented.
He stressed the importance of the NOAA in providing critical data and research, which supports various fields, particularly ocean and Antarctic science.
"From an ocean and Antarctic perspective, some of the potential cuts to the NOAA are exceedingly concerning," Stevens said, highlighting reports of up to 50 percent staff reductions at the NOAA.
Stevens also underscored the importance of satellite data for tracking tropical cyclones and Antarctic research, adding, "This is not the time to have less data about how Earth's climate and weather are changing.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
