Budget cuts - now killing NOAA's satellite capabilities (excellent NPR report)

[bullwinkle428]

Summary - the report got into how many private entities are dependent on NOAA's (i.e. U.S. GOVERNMENT) satellites for weather forecasting, and how their $1 billion budget recently got hacked back to $300 million, seriously threatening plans to replace many essential satellites that are quickly approaching the end of their life cycle. Thanks again, tea-baggers!

http://www.npr.org/2011/08/31/140079532/budget-cuts-threaten-noaas-weather-forecasts

[bullwinkle428]

1. Kick to include a more detailed, readable report from Washington Post:

"Making a successful weather forecast depends on a variety of factors - accurate computer model guidance, upper air observations from aircraft and weather balloons, forecaster intuition, and luck all come to mind. One of the key pillars of the modern forecasting enterprise consists of data gathered from two polar orbiting satellites, which is fed into computer model runs to help hone their forecast projections.

Now that pillar may be weakened by congressional budget cuts, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is sounding the alarm, telling Congress that a failure to restore funding for development of the next generation of polar orbiting satellites, known as the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS), would significantly reduce the accuracy of weather forecasts, particularly medium-range forecasts, and may have an outsized impact on forecasts for extreme events, such as blizzards or hurricanes.

The budget dispute centers on funding for the remainder of the current fiscal year, which ends in October 2011. A House-passed bill would keep funding for NOAA satellite programs at fiscal year 2010 levels, or $382 million. In comparison, President Obama’s fiscal year 2012 budget request calls for $1.1 billion to be spent on JPSS, a difference of $689 million."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/post/noaa-warns-weather-forecasts-will-suffer-from-budget-cuts/2011/03/31/AFKsct9B_blog.html

[JHB]

4. They can always find a private contractor for the balloons

[BadgerKid]

2. In October NOAA was to upgrade the Chicago Doppler radar.

I wonder if these cuts would affect that one or any others.

[Indydem]

3. Tea baggers barely control one half of one branch..

Anything they do must be approved by the Democratic Senate and the White House.

Everyone signed on for this shit and it's getting old. No one wants to fight for the public good, and our president sure as hell isn't making the case to preserve necessary government operations by a small rise in XX or YY tax.

All is lost.