Bill Would Sharpen NOAA's Weather Focus at Expense of Climate Research

摘要

A draft bill in the U.S. House of Representatives would put a greater emphasis on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) operational weather forecasting activities at the expense of climate research, and create inroads for increased government use of commercial satellites and weather data. The bill, known as the Weather Forecasting Improvement Act of 2013, would soften a prohibition on commercializing Commerce Department weather satellites - NOAA is part of the Commerce Department - by allowing the government to purchase weather data from commercial providers and permitting government weather instruments to fly as hosted payloads aboard private satellites, or vice versa.