The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is the newest target of President Trump’s attacks on America’s bedrock institutions—and we rely on it for a lot more than most people think.

NOAA is the world’s premier source of weather and climate data. Thanks to the agency’s vast network of satellites, airplanes, buoys, weather balloons, and more, scientists are able to collect real-time data on current atmospheric and oceanic conditions around the country. They make this information available to everyone in the form of weather forecasts, seasonal projections, severe weather alerts, and monthly and annual climate reports. NOAA also manages several important subagencies, including the National Weather Service, the National Ocean Service, and the National Marine Fisheries Service.

And they don’t charge a dime for access to their information.

Consider the farmers and fisheries who wouldn’t be able to do their work without accurate forecasts and warnings. Not to mention the climate scientists and environmental nonprofits who use NOAA data to advance our collective understanding of the climate crisis. NOAA is responsible for the convenience of checking the weather every day.

It’s no surprise that Mr. Trump is not a fan.

The agency was called out in Project 2025 for its contributions to the “climate change alarm industry”—so while Trump didn’t mention NOAA on the campaign trail, a federal attack on the agency is far from unexpected. But the proposed changes aren’t just irresponsible and illogical—they’re dangerous.

Here are some of the facts:

• NOAA staffers are bracing for 50% staff reductions and 30% budget cuts while navigating new administrative requirements regarding communications with international partners. This, in addition to the federal hiring freeze, makes it incredibly difficult for the agency to carry out its duties in support of the American people.
  
• There have been talks in Trump’s inner circle of privatizing the National Weather Service. No private company can hope to match NOAA’s breadth of data collection and coverage, and this shift would mean that only those who can pay for information would have access to it.
  
• The agency’s updated Climate Literacy Guide, which was created to help communicators and decision-makers better understand climate change, has been removed from the NOAA website. NOAA staff were also recently ordered to search all grants for a wide range of climate-related terms.

There’s no sugarcoating the situation—it’s pretty grim. But for all of the facts that aren’t in our favor, there are a few that still are.

For starters, NOAA can’t be dismantled or defunded without congressional action, and a number of Republican congress members represent major agricultural states that will suffer greatly if NOAA is gutted. Additionally, thanks to the quick thinking of a few scientists, the Climate Literacy Guide is still intact—now, it just needs a publicity campaign. And last—but certainly not least—most Americans aren’t raising the alarm about this because they don’t know what NOAA is or does.

We can definitely help with that.

NOAA is a national treasure and a public good. Let’s do our part to raise awareness and help save it!