The controversial Project 2025 might not only threaten people's human rights if passed, but it could also potentially spell the end for free weather reports in the whole US too.
First spotted by The Atlantic, included in the 881-page manifesto are plans to dismantle the National Weather Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the two agencies responsible for providing regular weather reports across the country.
(Photo : NWS)
Project 2025 authors claimed the agencies have "become one of the main drivers of the climate change alarm industry," and in turn, pose harm to the "future US prosperity."
These NWS and NOAA are the same government units that issue thunderstorms, heat waves, tornados, and flood warnings to citizens as damages caused by severe weather disasters continue to rise due to climate change.
Project 2025: Reallocate NWS, NOAA Functions to Private Services
The conservative-led plan proposed to have many of the agencies' "functions limited" or reallocated to other agencies.
While private weather institutions are providing regular weather notices, most services are tied behind paywalls or are reliant on the NWS data.
Experts have long raised issues with the rise of more privatized weather-related services as it could affect the public's access to the best climate data available, not to mention its vulnerability to biases due to the limited regulations around digital weather reports.
Also Read: Hurricane Beryl Aftermath: Houston Faces Blackouts, Internet Disruption Amid Heat Waves
Defunding NWS, NOAA Could Worsen US Disaster Response
This was not the first time the NWS and NOAA were at risk of being defunded or entirely shut down as internal politics in the government interfered with disaster and climate change response.
Similar issues surfaced during former President Donald Trump's term, who has been associated with several Project 2025 architects, as he kept citing inaccurate figures to minimize the threat of climate change to Americans.
And it seems like the Project 2025 180-day outlook intends to do the same thing again after the upcoming 2024 Elections.
With a huge majority of the country's stronger heat waves during summer and more intense hurricanes during the wet season, defunding the agencies responsible for monitoring weather changes could lead to catastrophic results.
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