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The dishes are seen outside the NOAA National Hurricane Center while Hurricane Irma ends September 9, 2017 in Miami. (Matt McClain / The Washington Post)
The head of the US's leading ocean and meteorological agency reassured employees Monday night that the $ 5.9 billion institution would not abandon its traditional focus on research on climate change and climate change. marine conservation.
The decision of retired Rear Admiral and oceanographer Timothy Gallaudet, Interim Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, came after the media revealed a leaky presentation, which he delivered internally last week, which listed the proposed changes. The NOAA's mission statement, including the removal of the word "climate" and the addition of a new focus on economic and national security goals.
Gallaudet stated that his presentation, an attempt to align NOAA on the strategic objectives of the largest Department of Commerce of which it is a part, was not an "approved final proposal" and "did not not considered by the Office of the Secretary prior to the meeting. "
He added that it was "not intended to exclude NOAA's important climate and conservation efforts, which are essential to protect lives and the environment".
The message also indicates that Gallaudet and Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross support the agency's mission – still officially unchanged – to "understand and predict climate, weather, ocean and coastal changes, share this knowledge and information with others. others, and conserve and manage coastal and marine ecosystems and resources. "
The Post and many other media reported Gallaudet 's internal presentation, which provoked considerable controversy within the earth and ocean science community.
Former NOAA administrator Jane Lubchenco said the proposal "ignores the best interests of the American people, the main responsibilities mandated by Congress, overwhelming scientific evidence and common sense."
Gallaudet's presentation was a surprise because during the Trump administration, NOAA regularly released information and updates on climate change, and issued a major government report at the end of the year. last year claiming that humans are the main driver of global warming. the planet.
Yet despite Gallaudet's assurances, his presentation – which also spoke of the spectacular growth of the US aquaculture industry and the use of the agency to help fill a trade deficit in the products of the sea - nevertheless indicates that the agency is thinking. move its operations to better serve the political objectives of President Trump.
"I think it's caught between a rock and a tough place," said Andy Rosenberg, director of the Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists, who first exposed the presentation.
"He made the presentation of the mission, which is certainly a good thing, but the priorities listed in the presentation do not include either climate or conservation. [executive order] on the politics of the ocean. I therefore have the impression that Gallaudet is trying to make sense but that he is under a lot of pressure. "
A person familiar with NOAA, who asked for anonymity to maintain agency relationships, reported that some employees do not want NOAA to be more like the Environmental Protection Agency, where climate change is considered much more politicized. .
"Climate people are stalling in the hope of staying under surveillance while focusing on the core mission of preserving data, doing science, and providing services," wrote L & # 39; 39; individual.
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