This would have severe public safety consequences. NOAA operates key systems such as the National Weather Service (NWS) and various satellites that provide real-time data for weather forecasting, severe storm warnings, and climate monitoring. Eliminating or privatizing these functions could reduce access to high-quality, reliable data.

NOAA plays a critical role in issuing early warnings for hurricanes, tornadoes, and other severe weather events. If these functions were privatized or handed over to states or territories, there could be inconsistencies in the quality and timeliness of warnings, leading to greater risks for communities during natural disasters.

If weather services were privatized, the general public and industries (e.g., agriculture, aviation, shipping) might have to pay for what are currently publicly funded services. This could increase costs, especially for smaller entities or states with limited budgets.

If states don’t have the budget and private entities aren’t able to do it as well, what happens? Blindsided by natural disasters!

Further, NOAA is a leader in climate science, conducting research on global warming, ocean acidification, and sea-level rise. Eliminating or reducing NOAA’s research functions could hinder efforts to understand and mitigate climate change, leaving gaps in the scientific knowledge used for global environmental policy.

Spoiler: That’s the part they care about. That’s why they want to dismantle the NOAA. THEY WANT TO PRETEND CLIMATE CHANGE DOESN’T EXIST, and they think that if we stop researching it or talking about it, it will simply go away. (See: The Bruno Strategy.)

Full contextual analysis of Section 4.1: Department of Commerce here.