Breaking: DOGE Arrives at NOAA on Same Day that Neil Jacobs is Nominated as the Agency’s Head

Disclaimer: This post was written by Dr. Andrew Rosenberg in his personal capacity and not on behalf of any organization or entity. The views expressed herein are Dr. Rosenberg’s and his alone.

SciLight has received reports that Elon Musk’s “DOGE” arrived at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) this afternoon. They apparently ignored security and made quick to take over the agency and its internal data, just like they did with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). We’re told their plan is to reduce the agency’s workforce by 50% and their budget by 30%. Since its creation in 1970 in the Nixon Administration, NOAA has provided critical services to the nation including weather forecasting, space weather analysis, coastal and ocean mapping and charting, oceanographic research and monitoring, living marine resource science and management and a host of other science-based programs and products that are important to every American whether they know they come from NOAA or not. Should the administration achieve these illegal cuts to NOAA’s staff and resources, the impacts would be devastating for not only the nation, but the world.

This news comes on the same day that the President has nominated Dr. Neil Jacobs to be the next Administrator for NOAA. Jacobs, an atmospheric scientist, certainly has the requisite technical qualifications for the position unlike most of Trump’s nominees. And he knows the agency having previously served as the acting Administrator in the first Trump administration. For any nominee, two of the minimum qualifications to even be considered should be technical knowledge and a broad understanding of the agency’s mission. Unfortunately, that as far as we can get with Jacobs. A third minimum qualification to lead a science agency should be understanding, respect for, and a willingness to fight for scientific integrity. Dr. Jacobs has shown he doesn’t meet that qualification.

SharpieGate

In the first Trump administration, there was no shortage of bizarre episodes of conflicts of interest, political manipulation of science, and a long lists of attacks on science and scientists. But, at the top of my list for an attack on science that was bizarre, pointless and damaging was the episode now known as SharpieGate. And Dr. Jacobs had the role of the best supporting actor worthy of an Oscar.

The short story is that in 2019 a dangerous hurricane was forecast to impact the southeast coast of the US. NOAA’s National Weather Service performed their vital, life and property saving work of tracking and forecasting the formation and path of this storm. These forecasts provide critical information to the public, state and local governments, emergency services and business. Over the years, the accuracy and reliability of the forecasts has increased to a remarkable extent even as severe weather intensity has increased with a warming climate.

For apparently political but essentially trivial reasons, President Trump declared that the storm was forecasted to impact Alabama. It wasn’t. And NWS refused to broadcast to the public the scientifically inaccurate forecast. But since he can never be wrong, the President’s people ordered the situation to be “fixed” to accommodate his incorrect assertion that Alabama was in the path of the hurricane – ostensibly because “…they like me, Alabama.” People were worried about evacuating; emergency services were relocated away from areas truly at risk. And Dr. Jacobs as acting head of NOAA went along with the political manipulation of the forecast.

We know that because there were several complaints under NOAA’s outstanding Scientific Integrity policy – including one that I was a part of. Those complaints were investigated by the National Academy of Public Administration and Jacobs was found to have engaged in scientific misconduct. Not exactly a positive signal for the next head of the same agency.

The Ugly Shape of Project 2025

Here we are in the second Trump go-around, and clearly Project 2025 is a major driving force behind the actions so far. This despite the President’s nonsensical denials of knowledge, Project 2025 people are everywhere.

And the plan for NOAA is - break it apart. Eliminate climate science and services. Send various pieces to other agencies regardless of the fit. Privatize what weather service so that already wealthy people (e.g. Barry Myers of AccuWeather) can make even more money at the expense of service to the general public.

With Musk and his non-governmental DOGE lads in the building, it seems like slash and burn will be the order of the day. Confidential information, privacy, services to the public be damned. The combination of DOGE and Project 2025 is truly frightening. Destructive, uncaring and ill-conceived.

Whether Dr. Jacobs is on board with that remains to be seen. The question will be if he will lead the destruction of the agency he is tasked to lead or stand up and fight back. How about it Neil?

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