Continuing my analysis of telecommunications-oriented play book ideas in the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, I now consider the plan to “commercialize” the National Weather Service. See https://static.project2025.org/2025_MandateForLeadership_FULL.pdf#page=707
Reading between the lines, I see a
future when taxpayers continue to underwrite billions of dollars in weather
satellites ($19.6 billion estimated cost of launching, and maintaining six next
generation satellites; https://spacenews.com/noaa-seeks-funding-increases-for-next-generation-satellite-programs/),
but the NWS cannot in-house convert basic
weather data into forecasts, warnings, projections, trend detection, and public
outreach.
Simply put, commercial ventures like
The Weather Channel and AccuWeather, would share a monopoly in the
commercialization of weather forecasting, leaving the NWS and taxpayers with
the burden of supplying and paying for creation of the data.
Is this a Great Country or What?
Commercial ventures can “have their cake and eat it too,” no longer content to
provide for profit “products,” augmenting what the NWS offers.
Who needs the NWS when commercial
ventures can offer better products, albeit ones that consumers pay twice: 1)
taxes to support the NWS acquisition of weather data; and 2) commercial
subscriptions and higher prices for advertiser supported commercial weather
services.
For good measure, maybe Congress
should outlaw municipalities from operating available to anyone within earshot,
storm siren warnings, a widespread precursor and still much appreciated adjunct
to cellphone, radio, and social network alerts. See https://www.weather.gov/dvn/sirenFAQ.
In my hometown of State College PA,
AccuWeather operates over a dozen satellite earth stations to receive and “add
value to” weather data. Most of the NWS
satellites operate in high geosynchronous orbit so the “birds” have a large
geographical “footprint.” It costs
several hundred million dollars to construct, launch, and manage each of these
type satellites, a large premium over smaller, limited purpose low earth
orbiting satellites that have become increasingly popular for broadband.
As one of those far from elite
academics providing unsponsored research to find the truth, I resent how
sponsored research predominates. Project 2025 cites an AccuWeather
sponsored advocacy document, masquerading as “research” to tout the superiority
of its commercial products:
Each day,
Americans rely on weather forecasts and warnings provided by local radio
stations and colleges that are produced not by the NWS, but by private
companies such as AccuWeather. Studies have found that the forecasts and
warnings provided by the private companies are more reliable than those
provided by the NWS.” Project 2025 at p. 675, citing https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/latest-study-of-120-million-forecasts-proves-accuweather-forecasts-are-most-accurate-300986848.html
I doubt whether AccuWeather would care
to showcase its superior weather satellite procurement and management prowess
if it had to pony up billions for the privilege. Better to leave that burden to the taxpayer,
something the Project 2025, does not acknowledge.
Bottom line: commercial ventures want
to prevent the NWS from even participating in public outreach, apparently even
for mission critical warnings that could prevent or reduce calamity. Their
simple logic: everyone has a cellphone, so we will not have a digital divide
separating the weather informed and uninformed. Who needs NWS competition with
far superior commercial products?
What a wild and shameless idea on the
fast track.
