About Jeff Masters
Cat 6 lead authors: WU cofounder Dr. Jeff Masters (right), who flew w/NOAA Hurricane Hunters 1986-1990, & WU meteorologist Bob Henson, @bhensonweather
March Madness: Trump Proposes 31% Cut to EPA and Big Cuts to Climate Change Programs
By: Jeff Masters , 4:01 PM GMT on March 16, 2017
President Trump’s first proposed budget was released on Thursday, and recommends maddening cuts to programs and agencies responsible for ensuring the health of Americans and for understanding and combating climate change. Among larger U.S. agencies, the biggest cuts come to the EPA, which would see its $8.1 billion budget slashed by over 31%, and layoffs hitting about 3,200 of the agency’s 15,000 workers. This would be the biggest cut in EPA since the 35% reduction that the agency endured in 1981, the first year of the Reagan presidency. The EPA’s budget peaked in 2010, at $10.3 billion. The proposed EPA budget eliminates funding for the Clean Power Plan—America’s chief effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions under the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement—and cuts international climate change programs, climate change research, and partnership programs, at a savings of over $100 million. Other cuts include:
$330 million to the Superfund toxic clean-up program (30% cut)
$129 million cut to enforcement efforts (24% cut)
$233 million cut to research and development (47% cut)
$300 million cut to Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (100% cut)
$73 million cut to Chesapeake Bay restoration (100% cut)
Energy Star energy efficiency program (100% cut)
Figure 1. The proposed cuts to the EPA do not reflect public sentiment; Americans support the EPA’s efforts to protect clean air, clean water, and the environment. A January 2017 poll by Reuters found that 39 percent of Americans would like to see the EPA "strengthened or expanded," 22 percent wanted it to "remain the same," and just 19 percent said they would like to see the agency "weakened or eliminated.” The rest said they "don't know." Image credit: John Mashey, desmogblog.com.
NASA climate science and education receive a major hit
NASA climate change and education programs have significant proposed cuts. Total elimination of the $115 million Office of Eduction was proposed, which includes camps and enrichment programs, internships and scholarships for young scientists, and support for women and underrepresented minorities in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. NASA’s Earth-science budget received a $102 million cut—5 percent of the program’s annual budget, including money for four satellites intended to study climate change:
PACE, intended to better understand how aerosol particles and clouds influence climate change
Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO-3)
Deep Space Climate Observatory, which will no longer use its Earth-facing cameras to monitor ozone, deforestation, and weather
CLARREO Pathfinder, which measures heat in Earth’s atmosphere
State Department cuts target Paris Climate Agreement promises
A significant commitment was made by the U.S. as part of the 2015 Paris Climate Accord: a $3 billion contribution to the Green Climate Fund, which assists developing countries in adaptation and mitigation practices to counter climate change. Obama already sent $1 billion of this promised amount, but Trump’s budget cuts the other $2 billion. Other nations may significantly scale back their commitments to cut greenhouse gas emission after seeing the U.S. renege on its Paris Climate Agreement promises.
Department of Energy sees clean energy cuts
Trump is proposing a 5.6 percent cut to the Department of Energy, including a sharp 17.9 percent cut to core energy and science programs intended to accelerate the transition to new clean energy technologies.
NOAA weather programs escape the ax
The proposed budget for NOAA does not have major cuts to weather programs, although grants and programs supporting coastal and marine management, research, and education—including Sea Grant, which helps coastal communities adapt to a climate change—are entirely eliminated. Here is what the proposed budget had to say about NOAA:
• Zeroes out over $250 million in targeted National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) grants and programs supporting coastal and marine management, research, and education including Sea Grant, which primarily benefit industry and state and local stakeholders. These programs are a lower priority than core functions maintained in the budget such as surveys, charting, and fisheries management.
• Maintains the development of NOAA’s current generation of polar orbiting and geostationary weather satellites, allowing the Joint Polar Satellite System and Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite programs to remain on schedule in order to provide forecasters with critical weather data to help protect life and property.
• Achieves annual savings from NOAA’s Polar Follow On satellite program from the current program of record by better rejecting [sic.] the actual risk of a gap in polar satellite coverage, and provides additional opportunities to improve robustness of the low earth orbit satellite architecture by expanding the utilization of commercially provided data to improve weather models.
• Maintains National Weather Service forecasting capabilities by investing more than $1 billion while continuing to promote efficient and effective operations.
Links
Trump to drop climate change from environmental reviews, source says, March 14 Bloomberg article
The EPA Used to Tweet About the Environment. Now It Just Tweets About Scott Pruitt, March 14 article from Mother Jones, that says “The EPA hasn't mentioned climate change once since Trump became president.”
Group of 17 Republicans sign US House resolution to fight climate change, March 14 Reuters article
Trump’s war on EPA regulations will kill jobs and a lot of people: Clean air and water standards create jobs, spur innovation, and save lives (January 25 post by Joe Romm of ThinkProgress.)
A Lesson Trump and the E.P.A. Should Heed, March 7, 2017 editorial by Reagan’s head of the EPA, William D. Ruckelshaus.
Take action!
At at time when we should be dramatically increasing our funding and commitment to combating and researching climate change, President Trump’s proposed budget moves us sharply in the opposite direction. In May, the White House will provide more specific line-by-line detail on the proposed cuts, and then it will be up to Congress to decide the final numbers. If you’re not in the 19% of Americans who believe EPA should have their budget cut, I encourage you to contact your House Representative and Senators to let them know that you want to see EPA’s budget held the same or increased.
Contact your House Representative
Contact your Senator
Jeff Masters
The views of the author are his/her own and do not necessarily represent the position of The Weather Company or its parent, IBM.
Reader Comments
Category 6™
254. StarNCpws1
10:07 PM GMT on March 17, 2017A P3 (PPP) is a Public-Private Partnership where private companies and investors can contribute and get a nice kickback when the contract is complete. By doing this, our government can cut federal funding and lower taxes while at the same time increasing private funding and grow infrastructures much faster. As the P3 helps to support a federal agency and our government's share profits increase, then our government can pour more federal funds into the agency. Any optional projects can still be funded by a P3 on the side while other major projects are still being concentrated on. NASA has been doing this for years now, and the EPA is going to grow with the same concept. In fact, the EPA will be using additional agreements known as CBP3 (Community-Based Public-Private Partnerships) for extra incentives and public exposure.
You see, what you might not be aware of yet is Trump wants to do the same thing the UN has been doing. He wants to make sure the USA runs like the Corporate Technocracy it actually already is. This is a GOOD thing, folks! Since our monetary-driven economy is failing, this is the only logical thing left to hammer before we go completely BUST. If you can't see this fact, then I'm sorry your bubble hasn't been popped yet so you can see it.
253. WunderAlertBot (Admin)
4:07 PM GMT on March 17, 2017250. cRRKampen
3:57 PM GMT on March 17, 2017I always hated that song. But it did come back to (or at) me very recently.
249. cRRKampen
3:56 PM GMT on March 17, 2017You have already proven that you are not interested at all.
248. KEEPEROFTHEGATE (Mod)
3:56 PM GMT on March 17, 2017247. cRRKampen
3:54 PM GMT on March 17, 2017That unrest, indeed a global phenomenon, may well continue to rise as climate detonation kicks in ever more. Much of it is already caused by it.
245. NttyGrtty
3:52 PM GMT on March 17, 2017Sometimes you have to negotiate, even when the negotiation is with an idiot. Logic should prevail, but does not always prevail . When both sides of a negotiation think the other side are idiots, both sides lose.
244. annabatic
3:51 PM GMT on March 17, 2017243. RobertWC
3:50 PM GMT on March 17, 201766% of Democrats now worry a great deal, up nine points from 2016
Independents are also more worried; Republicans are not
Gap between parties significantly wider than on other issues
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A landmark year in 2016 for global warming politics has further deepened the already formidable divide between Republicans and Democrats on the issue. Two-thirds (66%) of Democrats say they worry about global warming a great deal, compared with 18% of Republicans.
Gallup Poll
242. Xyrus2000
3:49 PM GMT on March 17, 2017Sorry, didn't mean to flag. Meant to plus. :(
241. Xyrus2000
3:45 PM GMT on March 17, 2017If one side uses facts and logic but the other refuses to acknowledge either and willfully chooses ignorance and ideology, then you can't have a meaningful discussion. Facts vs. "alternative facts".
The downfall of democracy is apathy and ignorance. Both have taken a firm grip in the US and Trump is the result.
In addition, you're assuming the country will still be here in a form that can swing back to the left. Remember "Lock Her Up!"? Do you see the demonization of the free press? The rise of the extreme right, not just here but worldwide? In an environment of social unrest things can change very fast.
240. washingtonian115
3:42 PM GMT on March 17, 2017239. cRRKampen
3:41 PM GMT on March 17, 2017Yes. Paradise 2.0 is around the corner.
237. KEEPEROFTHEGATE (Mod)
3:31 PM GMT on March 17, 2017235. GreyJewel
3:29 PM GMT on March 17, 2017"I don't want the government WASTING my 'hard earned tax dollars' on [choose one] bombs OR bums!"
Well, there's waste and there's waste, my friends. It's true that the multiplier or circulation effect of a bomb might be slower and longer than that of a bum (the bum will spend that money at a local store tomorrow, supporting local business, while the cost of the bomb needs to go through the employment manufacturing stage of spending, not to mention the fact that a bomb can get, y'know, blown up on foreign soil, materials lost forever and not even a storage job left to continue the cycle). But in most cases there are positive follow on effects of government spending. Stimulus, you might say. Everyone thought the Reagan boom was wonderful. It was built via massive DEFICIT SPENDING on the military. Huge jump in the national debt because of wild borrowing to finance big budget deficits each year. But, hey, the Eighties, man, the BOOM, everybody was rollin' in it, right? That was when the economy was going great...because of deficit spending.
Because the money being spent by the government in defense industries was going back into the economy. People were being given jobs and consumer demand grew. All that nonsense about "supply" driving the economy was indeed voodoo economics. The tax rate changes might have contributed to the consumer spending, but the real driver was the government's spending. I mean, a rich man can only own so many yachts. Poorer people having more, better paying middle class jobs because the government was keeping the tapS open on defense jobs everywhere, which then supported local communities, etc. People had money, they spent it.
Government spending per se, even a goodly amount of deficit spending, is not the problem. FOOLISH government spending on stuff that we don't really need (like more bombs), and not investing on important long-term things like education, health, environment and research, THAT is the problem.
233. cRRKampen
3:26 PM GMT on March 17, 2017Yes, rant. Tawk, you know. Are you not aware what this regime is? Or do you choose to be deflected if the deflection suits your theories?
(note - I responded to the content of that post. Author has both my sympathy and ears).
232. RobertWC
3:25 PM GMT on March 17, 2017How the Golden State went green.
…Today, California can claim first place in just about every renewable-energy category: It is home to the nation’s largest wind farm and the world’s largest solar thermal plant. It has the largest operating photovoltaic solar installation on Earth and more rooftop solar than any other state. (It helps to have a lot of roofs.) This new industry has been an economic boon as well. Solar companies now employ an estimated 64,000 people in the state, surpassing the number of people working for all the major utilities. California has attracted more venture capital investment for clean-energy technologies than the European Union and China combined. Even the state’s manufacturing base is experiencing a boost; one of California’s largest factories is Tesla Motors’ sprawling electric-vehicle assembly plant in the Bay Area.
All of these advances have undercut a fundamental tenet of economics: that more growth equals more emissions. Between 2003 and 2013 (the most recent data), the Golden State decreased its greenhouse gas emissions by 5.5 percent while increasing its gross domestic product by 17 percent — and it did so under the thumb of the nation’s most stringent energy regulations.
Link
231. Some1Has2BtheRookie
3:22 PM GMT on March 17, 2017I find it quite interesting that while ignorance is free it will always create costs for those that will cling to it. Funny how that stuff works.
230. Some1Has2BtheRookie
3:19 PM GMT on March 17, 2017Actually, the EPA is the product of an executive order signed by President Richard Nixon on December 2, 1970. Congress funds the EPA, but Congress did not create the EPA. Congress did ratify the executive order through committee hearings in both the House and the Senate. Just a bit of non trivial trivia.
228. 999Ai2016
3:16 PM GMT on March 17, 2017Reliefweb.int - March 16.
LIMA, PERU -- A new round of unusually heavy rains has killed at least a dozen people in Peru and now threatens flooding in the capital.
The new floods and mudslides over the past three days follow a series of other storms and officials say that a total of 62 people have died and 12,000 homes have been destroyed so far this year.
Authorities said Thursday they expect the intense rains caused by the warming of surface waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean to continue another two weeks.
Schools nationwide are suspending classes and in the capital of Lima, the swelling Huaycoloro river swept away two trucks and threatens to destroy a bridge.
President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski said late Wednesday that authorities are prepared to provide shelter and relief to those left homeless.
227. Patrap
3:16 PM GMT on March 17, 2017Forget N Korea?, you should read more about Tillerson's rant.
WORLDPOST 03/17/2017 05:30 am ET | Updated 4 hours ago
Rex Tillerson: When It Comes To North Korea, All Options Are On The Table
How will Pyongyang react to this new approach?
226. 3SeaHorses
3:15 PM GMT on March 17, 2017225. cRRKampen
3:13 PM GMT on March 17, 2017(removed double post)
224. Patrap
3:07 PM GMT on March 17, 2017This is from one of them watching here and there this morning. Used with permission.
Katherine Hamlin: The ONLY reason we are building our defenses is so we can go to war. More poor kids can die while the rich get richer over the sale of the war machine.
223. cRRKampen
3:05 PM GMT on March 17, 2017Forget North Korea. The war will be against Iran. Note the why: today's shi'ite dominance in the Middle-East (including Syria, Irak) and since the region has to be kept in perpetual war (this yields US jobs, is the belief) you can see it coming easily.
A war with North Korea will be blocked by South Korea - they do not fancy a missile rain and (I should hope) dying for another Empire of Chaos war out there.
222. PensacolaDoug
3:04 PM GMT on March 17, 2017221. Snacker2
3:03 PM GMT on March 17, 2017Bag of rice, 50 lbs, 30$. Great investment because it will last years and you can consume it anyways.
220. cRRKampen
3:02 PM GMT on March 17, 2017Projection is not.
219. PensacolaDoug
3:02 PM GMT on March 17, 2017Quote me accurately or not at all please.
218. ncstorm
3:01 PM GMT on March 17, 2017Good news the Budget wont pass because GOP knows this hits the red states the hardest who voted for Trump and they can't afford to lose their base
Bad news is Trump will try to start a war with North Korea to deflect from Russia to avoid impeachment
If Comey was truly led down a rabbit hole with Weiner/Clinton emails, we may just make it out of this alive
If not start stockpiling can goods as this country will go belly up
Happy Friday :)
217. Patrap
2:59 PM GMT on March 17, 2017It is THE obstacle to logical thinking as, just tally up the Rights # of Abortion bills in the Congress and State Houses Nationwide and get back to us in reality land.
I can save you some time on dat, but alas, Im not in a comfortable setting nor upright currently.
Trump is a sick Man, a man divorced from reality. How a werking soul over 50 can reconcile that this is a Leader, is way beyond Logic in any sense.
216. NttyGrtty
2:52 PM GMT on March 17, 2017I believe the right is counting on that not letting up any time soon. The left keeps quoting the popular vote. California and New York can go 100% democratic next time and, unless something else changes, the left still loses the election, only by slightly less than a land slide. All the name calling and self-centered hate is what got us here, yet the left's answer is more of the same expecting a drastically different result next time. The country will swing left again, it always does after a near sweep by the right (or vice-versa) but with one, two or possibly even three conservative judges appointed before that happens, the congressional and presidential swing may be negated somewhat. Until we can all figure out how to discuss issues in a sincere way without demonizing each other, it is and shall remain a coin toss on how much damage each side can do. Time for a round table...
215. Patrap
2:52 PM GMT on March 17, 2017214. trunkmonkey
2:51 PM GMT on March 17, 2017Although a detailed analysis of the EPA’s budget is beyond the scope of this article, its use of tax dollars can be viewed on a broader scale. The EPA budget covers five environmental areas to be addressed in 2012 with taxpayer money. A breakdown of the areas, with percentage of budget and approximate dollar amounts is:
By far, the greatest share of EPA spending is focused on EPA’s efforts to maintain and improve the quality of our nation’s waters, followed by environmental cleanups and air quality programs, including climate change. Enforcement of environmental laws places fourth on the list of budget expenditures, followed by chemical safety and pollutions prevention. This look at the EPA budget is the first in a series. In coming articles, we’ll look deeper at the EPA’s budget, and how their use of tax money impacts us. We’ll Follow the Money.
213. trunkmonkey
2:51 PM GMT on March 17, 20172008: 20.8 percent
2009: 25.2 percent
2010: 24.1 percent
2011: 24.1 percent
2012: 24.3 percent
2013: 23.3 percent
212. NJTom
2:49 PM GMT on March 17, 2017211. Patrap
2:43 PM GMT on March 17, 2017Surely not PBS.
I figure if the werds of Sith Lord Steve Bannon is the admin creed, and motto.."deconstructing the Administrative State", the pillaging of the US National Institutions that keep the stability of the world intact, is going to be deleted, as evidenced by the silencing of the State Dept.
When tyranny becomes the Norm, the American Veteran will not stand idly by.
We have generational skin and souls in the game.
Semper Fi'
210. Neapolitan
2:37 PM GMT on March 17, 2017209. Patrap
2:34 PM GMT on March 17, 2017Much appreciated.
Pfffth'
207. Uragani
2:25 PM GMT on March 17, 2017What's that in mid Atlantic?
206. Xyrus2000
2:24 PM GMT on March 17, 2017A small point of clarification. Not communist. Fascists. Fascism combines business and state (and military eventually). This allows for the consolidation of all critical functions under the executive. An early example of this was Mussolini's Italy.
The current form is more appropriately called neo-fascism, which still carries a lot of the original ideology with a few modern twists thrown in.
Fortunately, it seems most Americans aren't buying it, including those who work in the White House judging by the river of leaks that continue to pour out of it.
More on topic, the backlash this budget is generating pretty much guarantees there's no way it will pass in it's current form. If it does eek through due to the psychopaths we have running the country, then I would imagine at least one group would be more than happy to take the government to court over gross negligence, public endangerment, etc.
205. cRRKampen
2:10 PM GMT on March 17, 2017Great. Show me the economy that provides everyone with a job. This done, we shall talk about what jobs, actually. The DDR had 100% employment, arrived at for instance by having half of the population spy on the other half. Et cetera.
This obsession with jobs (and economic growth) must end.
204. KEEPEROFTHEGATE (Mod)
2:07 PM GMT on March 17, 2017