Searching For "Climate-Related" Words In NOAA Studies & Grants

National Weather Service 

Programs Probed By Search Engines 

Alaska coastal erosion. (Photo, Sea Grant Alaska) 

THE HEADLINES 

FEBRUARY 18TH, 2025  

In an effort to make good on promises to voters, the National Weather Service (NOAA) is one of many Federal organizations across America and Alaska that is being scrutinized by the new 'Department of Government Efficiency' or DOGE. One area of the government's concern is NOAA's work on climate issues. Large cuts of manpower in the NOAA staff are expected. NOAA is America's weather forecast system. 

NOAA  has a broad range of work that is "climate related."The US government is using search engines to find and root out words in NOAA data that refer to "climate" to find grants that address climate change.  

"Climate" work at NOAA covers many issues affecting daily life. The official NOAA website, on February 18th, showed a strong emphasis on climate. 

"Climate" is what NOAA does.  

Here's a summary of some of the climate-related efforts listed by NOAA itself on its website on February 18th, 2025: 

Climate efforts include analyzing the increasing floods America is experiencing; studying droughts which affect American farmers; hurricane and wildfire studies; sea level rises; melting ice sheets; storm surges; invasive species moving into new places; ocean acidification; weather-related damage to roads, bridges, and "other parts of our transportation and communication system: which were "designed without climate change in mind." 

Alaska-related topics are listed in NOAA web pages regarding "climate". These include "coastal erosion" and "high-tide flooding." 

NOAA is an organization that analyses weather and oceanic patterns, and trends, as well as makes forecasts. In Alaska, climate analyses may also touch on weather patterns such as "El Nino" or "El Nina"; volcanic activity;  tsunamis, high waves and flooding along the coast. 

Where are the NOAA offices in Alaska? 

Alaska Fisheries Science Center: Offices in Juenau and Seattle, and labs across the state. NOAA Fisheries Alaska Regional Office: Juneau and Anchorage

National Weather Service. Headquarters in Anchorage, Weather Forecast Offices in Fairbanks, Anchorage & Juneau. 12 Weather Service Offices across the state. 

Alaska Aviation Weather Unit, Anchorage Center Weather Service Unit, Alaska-Pacific River Forecast Center. There are other laboratories and data acquisition stations around Alaska, from Barrow to Fairbanks. 

One of these offices in Valdez.