Amid news reports that Elon Musk’s DOGE is moving against the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, UCLA and UC ANR climate scientist Daniel Swain will discuss the vital importance and life-saving role of the agency. He’ll also preview an anticipated rainstorm headed next week for Southern California, and the risks of flooding or debris flows in recent burn areas.
 

YouTube ‘Office Hours’ with Daniel Swain

Friday, Feb. 7, 1 p.m. PT /4 p.m. ET

Regarding NOAA, “This amazing sub-branch of the Department of Commerce is the envy of other nations the world over,” Swain says. “The National Weather Service is also believed to represent one of the most cost-effective tax dollar expenditures in American government – in terms of dollars saved by American individuals, businesses, and governments per dollar spent on NWS activities – and saves thousands of lives every single year.”

You can hear more about what’s at risk in his pre-election briefing on NOAA in Oct. 2024, covering the value of NOAA and the potential consequences of losing it. He also posted more this week:

  • “The U.S. #NationalWeatherService, housed within #NOAA, is a truly world-class meteorological predictive service, perhaps singularly so. It costs only ~$3/yr per taxpayer, & yields ~10:1 return on investment--saving economy 10s-100s of billions, not to mention thousands of lives.”
  • “I want to be clear: the private sector, as it presently exists, *cannot* quickly spin up to fill any void left by substantial dismantling of #NOAA. Full stop. If that were to happen, people would die in extreme weather events who would not have otherwise, & economy would suffer.”
  • “Also, even a temporary or partial interruption in NOAA/NWS 24/7 lifesaving services--which are often used in an hour-by-hour (even minute-by-minute) context--would have this effect. The NWS is a critical public utility and it would be extremely difficult to rebuild if torn down.”

Join live to ask questions in the chat, or visit the same link anytime after the session begins to watch the recording. Please reach out to check interview availability with Swain and other UCLA climate and wildfire experts.