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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsRepublicans plan to gut the National Weather Service will kill more Americans, including children,
but they don't freaking care. Once this recent disaster is forgotten, they will go back to doing what is best for the billionaires that totally own the republican party and putting more innocent Americans at risk in the process. The Pro Death republican party strikes again.
http://www.salon.com/2013/05/21/how_are_we_cutting_the_weather_service_now/
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The Department of Commerce warned that not only will the loss of satellite data and imagery diminish the quality of forecasts, but so will other important weather data surrendered by spending cuts.
Before you dismiss that as esoteric, nerdy, overly technical and therefore just abstract, check out what the president of the American Meteorological Society says it means in practice:
"The public may take for granted a tornado warning or satellite loop of an approaching hurricane. Likewise, the public probably just assumes that they will have 5- to 9-day warning of storms like Sandy; 15 to 60 minutes lead time for tornadic storms approaching their home; an airline with appropriate data for safe air travel; or a military with reliable information to avoid hazardous weather on a mission protecting our freedom. However, these capabilities can and will worsen/degrade if we cut weather balloon launches, cut investments in the latest computing technology for our models, reduce Doppler radar maintenance, delay satellite launches, or shatter employee morale
I am honestly concerned that we will regress in capability and this will jeopardize lives, property, and our security."
Following in the footsteps of former Republican Sen. Rick Santorum, conservatives faced with these self-evident facts have taken to Fox News to cite the problems previous flat budgets have already created to call for a wholesale elimination of the National Weather Service. Its a classic self-fulfilling sophistry of the right: Ignore the positive work an agency does, keep the agencys budget flat so that its capabilities do not keep up with the times, then cite the agencys reduced capabilities as justification to keep cutting it.
Perhaps, though, the devastation in Oklahoma City will serve as a reminder of why thats the wrong path. After all, the wreckage is an explicit commentary on how bad things can be even when our weather forecasting system works and, thus, an implicit reminder of how much worse things could be if it doesnt. It is also a reminder that we shouldnt think of weather forecasting as the insignificant television arena of dim-witted Brick Tamlands, but instead as an integral part of homeland security infrastructure.
When the ideology of austerity and Congresss manufactured crises like the sequestration collectively jeopardize that infrastructure, we are needlessly inviting unnecessary and tragic consequences.
onehandle
(51,122 posts)Ninga
(8,276 posts)What's the chance of that happening?.
Elwood P Dowd
(11,443 posts)So what else is new?
Flashmann
(2,140 posts)Virtually nil...Zip...Nada...None...Zero...The proverbial snowball...
John1956PA
(2,655 posts)One of the private weather forecasting companies which would have benefited from the proposed legislation was a company which had contributed to Santorum's campaign.
Here is a link to an article about Santorum's sponsorship of the bill:
http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/rick-santorums-war-against-the-national-weather-service/
Here is an excerpt from the article:
Doubling down later in the year, Santorum also accused the weather services National Hurricane Center of flubbing its forecasts for Hurricane Katrinas initial landfall in Florida, despite the days of all-too-prescient warnings the agency had given that the storm would subsequently strike the Gulf Coast.
Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)My smart phone came with an un-deletable AccuWeather app...I downloaded a NOAA app for use, just to make a point...
Aristus
(66,434 posts)the Wal-Mart Weather Service, and pay $25 or so for a weather forcast offered by the least-expensive weather-forcast provider, and relayed over the phone by an unskilled worker making minimum wage. That would work, wouldn't it?
Problem solved!
NightWatcher
(39,343 posts)Hell, leave the country. I hear Somalia has a shit ton of freedom and no gubmint
Downwinder
(12,869 posts)No warning was issued for the tornado in Fredericksburg.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/wp/2013/04/20/weather-service-confirms-tornado-struck-fredericksburg-friday-evening/
Elwood P Dowd
(11,443 posts)Zoeisright
(8,339 posts)when something bad happens to them. While I certainly don't want anyone to be killed or hurt by storms, votes have consequences. Many people need to learn that.
sulphurdunn
(6,891 posts)and their corporate sugar daddy's must be stopped before they kill us all.
lastlib
(23,258 posts)...because those nice warm, fuzzy "family values" are so nice.......and white...........
SCVDem
(5,103 posts)Dorothy didn't get there in time.
SCVDem
(5,103 posts)volcano research in Alaska?
How is all that hopey praying thing working out?
kelliekat44
(7,759 posts)FOX sure won't report it.