National Weather Service Bill: S. 786 (Santorum, R-PA) - 4/1

[bottomscraper]

The following was stolen from the Lats & Atts board:



You may be aware that the excellent (FREE) on-line services provided by the National Weather Service (NOAA) are in jeopardy.
U.S. Senator Rick Santorum has introduced a bill (S. 786) which would prevent the National Weather Service [ www.nws.noaa.gov ] from distributing free weather data.

Background:

Re: NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE

Bill: S. 786 (Santorum, R-PA) - 4/14/05

Title: “A bill to clarify the duties and responsibilities of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Weather Service, and for other purposes.”

Sponsor: Sen Santorum, Rick [PA] (introduced 4/14/2005)
Cosponsors: (None)

Committees: Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation

Latest Major Action: 4/14/2005 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Link to Text: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtex ... l=s109-786

Including paragraph(b):
“ COMPETITION WITH PRIVATE SECTOR.
-The National Weather Service shall not provide, or assist other entities in providing, a service or product [other than a service or product described in subsection (a)(1)(A)] that is or could be provided by the private sector unless ... “

I urge all interested parties to let your elected representatives know what you think of this bill. I’ve taken the liberty of composing a negative opinion, posted below.

Sample letter:

***
To: Your US Senator(s)
Re: NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
S. 786 (Santorum, R-PA) - 4/14/05

I am urging you to oppose bill S.786 titled “A bill to clarify the duties and responsibilities of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Weather Service, and for other purposes.”

The bill will place limits on the products and services for their constituents. As written, it could privatize the excellent online services already provided by National Weather Service. The bill will limit small enterprises access to weather data and prevent the public from having free access to weather information. Because the bill has ambiguities, time and resources will be wasted on determining whether the services comply with the bill. Fewer resources will be devoted to the National Weather Service’s primary mission.

Please oppose the National Weather Service bill.

Signed (Your name / signature)
***

For more info’ goto: http://cruisersforum.com/showthread.php ... eadid=1779

Best regards,
Gord May

[Mathias]

Thanks for a heads-up on this. I think of the NOAA weather broadcasts that would be jeopardized as well. How will I be able to brush my teeth in the morning without listening to them?

In my humble opinion (ok, my brash --and right -- view of the world) this is not a case of government competiting with private sector, but the government providing a safety service just as much as they provide highway signs to tell us which way to go.

Without a free public weather service, I wonder how many people would head out without enough info and end up needing rescue or worse: dead.

-Mathias

[Joe Myerson]

Thanks for the posting!
There's only one way to put a stop to this kind of stuff, and that's by spreading the word to all the interest groups who would be threatened by this scheme. We all should write letters!
Not only would this whacko legislation (yeah, I'm expressing a political opinion--hope I'm not out of line here) endanger us recreational boaters, it would also put commercial fishermen, professional mariners and even farmers, hikers and skiers in danger.
Has anybody thought about sending this information to National Fisherman, Outside Magazine and other publications?
Thanks again,

--Joe Myerson

[bill 2]

Excuse me for getting on the soap box - but do I have this right

" shall not provide, or assist other entities in providing, a service or product "

So the programs that my tax dollars fund are to be kept private - gather the data but don't give it out ???? Are they asking for user fees - like they're a profit center for the govt instead of a service to promote travel throughout the country on LAND and sea ?

What's next - putting books in buildings, calling them free libraries, but keeping them locked and closed to the public - talk about control freaks ?

Deep breath - OK I feel better - guess its time to write some letters . . .

[Paul D.]

OK, I am with you here. In my opinion, some rather large jobs ARE better when organized by the government. Examples include the Superior National Forest ( I think they do a wonderful job managing each of our very special interests, and somehow they manage to protect the forest too) and the NOAA. I think all commercial weather outlets like news stations and weather channels treat weather more as product as opposed to information. With the intent of making me watch (and sometimes be afraid) as opposed to get any sort of info.

This makes a big but subtle difference in the way we deal with the information and make choices. I think moving to an all commercial weather information system would not help the dissemination of quality information. I like quality.

Paul Danicic
CD 33 Femme du Nord
Minneapolis

[Joe Myerson]

I just checked on the status of this bill. It was introduced by Rick Sanctimonious--oops I mean Santorum--on April 13, and filed with the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.

The committee's full membership is listed at this link. I think letters to its members might help. Even the chairman, Ted Stevens, should not be totally deaf to the concerns of commercial fishermen and professional mariners in his Alaska constituency.

http://commerce.senate.gov/about/membership.html

--Joe Myerson

[Bob Luby]

This is a great example of how our government REALLY works!

I believe Accu-Weather, which has a business providing weather forecasts and other weather data, has its offices in State College PA, near Penn State. So, Here's what probably has happened.

Accu-Weather constantly has to answer the question: Why use you rather than the perhaps more generic NWS?

They probably thought up the idea - let's pass a bill forbidding the NWS from providing any services we do, If those services stop, OUR business will drastically increase. Furthermore, If the NWS has any plans for improving their weather services, this will have a "chilling effect" on those plans. So, Accu-Weather lobbyists drafted a bill, and Rick Santorum, as a favor to a constituent, ( and probable contributor ) introduced the bill. This also lets Santorum appear to be "getting the government out of private business" , which gives him conservative establishment ( his political base ) brownie points. For him it is a winning situation.

Now that the bill has been thrown in the hopper, other groups' lobbyists will take note of it, and point out how it would affect their clients. Commercial Fishermen might not like it, Boaters might not like it too. ( PA is mostly land-locked, remember ) I hope their cries will kill this bill in committee.

To paraphrase Bismarck, There are two activities that should not be seen by the fastidious, the first is the making of sausage, the second is the making of laws."
________
HOT BOX VAPORIZER
________
Free Vaporizer

[bottomscraper]

since a majority of the members of the "U.S Senate Committee On Commerce, Science and Transportation" are from states with significant coast line this bill will go down in flames.

[Joe Myerson]

I agree that the bill's chances are slim.

However, I think we as boaters should make sure that the submission of this bill does not go unnoticed or unanswered. Santorum is reported to be jockeying for a run at the presidency, and this bill should become a permanent part of his resume, IMHO.

--Joe Myerson

[Bob Luby]

I can see the attack ads already!
________
Marijuana dispensary

[Joe Myerson]

Hey guys,

This thread is about Rick Santorum's whacko bill to destroy the Weather Bureau, not about climate change. NOAA's weather data is helpful to all sailors, no matter what their position on other issues.

Let's get back on message, please.

--Joe Myerson

[Didereaux]

Agree with the phrasing "Santorums' whacko Bill..." It is and it is just the latest of such craziness to emerge from a certain group. The NWS is absolutely necessary to boaters, period. Not to mention small farmers etc. So -DOWN with Santorum, Down with his idiocy!!.

As for the global climate debate...well here's my take on it. It does NOT matter one whit what the causes of climatic change are to a sailor, it DOES matter that they are taking place and are accurately being recorded. If you were to use a 25-30 yr old pilot chart today it would be 'dead' wrong way over half the time. That is a potential disaster to a long voyager.

Warmer waters are creating more numerous and more severe storms at sea and over an increasing season. Icebergs are larger and extending beyond normal boudaries or are drifting in new patterns due to changing current flows brought about by changing water temperatures. All of this is measured fact.

So again I state climate change is a critical factor for both recreational sailors and commercial ocean shipping. As shipping changes to meet current etc changes the recr4eational(small boat) sailor must be made aware of that as soon as possible.

Whether 'Science' can change the trend or not, whether man or planet is responsible or not, is irrelevent at the sailing level...if it is taking place, it IS relevent.

Sheesh! Talk about your 'soap boxes!' Sorry 'bout that, well not really, I wouldn't have bothered to write all that if I didn't care.

One thing for certain, hotter temps should translate to higher and more extended winds... durn glad I have a CD and not a 'Chlorox Bottle' to sail it in. ;)

[John D.]

If a rogue wave (sailing related)
justifies last week's lawyer attacks (not sailing related)

then a rogue elephant (Santorum, sailing related in this context)
espousing corporate weather welfare (sailing related)
justifies discussing climate change (sailing related)

(by the way, the study was performed by NASA scientists and published in the peer-reviewed journal Science).

[Joe Myerson]

Didereaux and John D:

I agree with both of you. As far as I'm concerned, global-warming denyers are not very different from those who claim that evolution is "only a theory," (in fact, they're often the same people).

All I meant was: whatever your position on climate change, Santorum's senseless assault on the NWS poses an immediate threat to all of us, and we should send letters to the Senators who have the power to scuttle his whacko bill.

That, I assume, is why Rich (thanks again!) let us know what was afoot.

Those of us who believe that the members of the free-market Taliban deserve the same fate as their Afghan namesakes should probably restrict those sentiments to other forums.

--Joe Myerson

[elbows wychulis]

Ross Gelbspan has article on insurance losses doubling, Boat owners can expect to see big rate increases.
see www.heatisonline.org
below is excerpt from website including insurance article




· Earth has become net importer of heat (April, 2005)

· Climate impacts cost the world $145 billion in 2004 (April, 2004)

· Crops found much more vulnerable to warming (April, 2005)

· Bush Administration uses skeptic to argue court case (April, 2005)

· GAO blasts Bush Administration for ignoring climate impacts (April, 2005)

· EIA: Kyoto compliance would cost US only 0.15% of GDP (April, 2005)

· UN:renewables would trigger economic boom in poor countries (April, 2005)

· Rapid climate change event would decimate marine food chain (March, 2005)

· UCS calls for federal investigation of "misleading" car ad -- while Canadian cars agree to cut emissions 25 percent by 2010 (March, 2005)

· Evangelicals put climate change high on their agenda (March, 2005)

· Munich Re: Warming drives doubling of insurance losses (Feb. 2005)

· Chirac calls on industrial nations to cut emissions 75% by 2050 (Feb. 2005)

· Ocean warming confirms human-induced warming (Feb. 2005)

----------------------------------------------------------------

The People's Ratification of the Kyoto Global Warming Treaty Sign the petition

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· Hockey Stick graph attacked as flawed research -- science or disinformation? (Feb. 2005)

· Scientists document validity of "Hockey Stick" graph (March, 2005)

· Sleepwalking Toward Apocalypse Now (The Independent), Feb. 2005

· West Antarctic Ice Sheet shows early signs of disintegration (Feb. 2005)

· Scientists fear non-linear climate changes (Feb. 2005)

· New findings indicate much more rapid warming (Jan. 2005)

· US Skeptics target UK to foil Blair (Jan. 2005)

· IPCC Chief: Climate at "point of no return" (Jan. 2005); Study projects possible 10 year window for action (Jan. 2005)

· Congress cuts funds for climate research stations (Jan. 2005)

· US opposes mention of climate change in disaster talks (Jan. 2005)

· Sydney must cut water use in half to stave off massive shortage (Jan. 2005)

· Rising sea levels spur worries by small island states (Jan. 2005)

· Inhofe opens new Senate session with withering attack on climate science (Jan. 2005)

· Flourishing of Antarctic grass reflects rapid temperature rise (Dec. 2004)

· The 850 new coal plants planned by the US, China and India will generate 5 times more emissions than the Kyoto Protocol would cut (Dec. 2004)

· US assault leaves Kyoto talks comatose (Dec. 2004)

· Industrial nations blasted for double standards at Buenos Aires (Dec. 2004)

· Hadley Centre foresees surge of lethal heat waves (Dec. 2004)

· 2004 is on track to be fourth hottest year on record (Dec. 2004)

· Utility giant Cinergy supports emissions curbs (Dec. 2004)

· Bush Administration turns its back on Arctic meltdown (Nov. 2004)

· Lawyers move to force action over Mt. Everest's ice loss (Nov. 2004)

· Australia braces for severe climate impacts (Nov. 2004)

· Arctic ice melt accelerates sea level rise (Nov. 2004)

· Epic drought threatens drinking water supplies in Southeastern Australia (Nov. 2004)

· Leaked coal industry documents reveal plan to gut climate, air regulations (Nov. 2004)

· Putin signs bill clearing way for Kyoto Protocol to take effect (Nov. 2004)

· Four-year study shows Arctic becoming first casualty of warming (Oct. 2004) . . . even as Bush Administration tries to block action (Nov. 2004)

· Scientists identify potential runaway climate feedbacks (Oct. 2004)

· Hansen goes public with harsh criticism of Bush climate policies (Oct. 2004)

· Accelerating rate of climate change dismays scientists (Oct. 2004)

· Climate change threatens development of poor nations (Oct. 2004)

· Accelerating rate of CO2 rise worries scientists (Oct. 2004)

· Putin's OK puts Kyoto Process back on track (Oct. 2004)

· Scientists stunned by rate of carbon release from tundra (Sept. 2004)

· Antarctic glaciers speed flow into oceans (Sept. 2004)

· Hurricanes Frances and Ivan may foreshadow stronger hurricanes (Sept. 2004)

· Arctic Ocean temperature surges in 2004. (Aug. 2004)

· Nine years after IPCC finding, White House concedes CO2 spurs warming . . . while Bush denies it represents a change in Administration position (Aug. 2004)

· In this new anthropocene age, scientists warn of irreversible cascades of runaway system changes (Aug. 2004)

· Speed of warming forces Europe to plan to adapt to the coming changes (Aug. 2004)

· Weather extremes threaten aid to the world's poor: WFP (Aug. 2004)

· Altered rain patterns leave two million Kenyans at risk of starvation (August, 2004)

· Greenland ice sheet seen melting ten times faster than previously thought (August, 2004)

· New eastward-moving El Nino seen gathering force (Aug. 2004)

· Oil, gas firms spent more than $440 million on political lobbying in past 6 years (July, 2004)

· South Asia monsoons displace more than 30 million, kill more than 300 people (July, 2004)

· "Missing CO2" found in oceans could harm marine life (July, 2004)

· Pentagon plans for rapid climate change event: Fortune Magazine (Jan. 2004) . . . while scientists say it may already be too late (Jan. 2004) Also: The Observer (UK), (Read the Pentagon Report)

· World grain harvests fall short of consumption four consecutive years because of climate impacts (2003)

Climate News UPDATES (2004)

Climate News UPDATES (2002-2003)

Climate News Archive (2000-2001)

Recent books by Other Authors (2001)

The Heat Is Online web site is based on the book The Heat Is On: The Climate Crisis, The Cover-Up, The Prescription, by Ross Gelbspan, (Perseus Books,1998):

"Toward A Real Kyoto Protocol," (Three "macro" solutions strategies to address the climate crisis)

Recent publications by Ross Gelbspan

COMMENTARY: "Rich Nations Must Share the Blame for Catastrophic Flooding" -- by Salem Ul Huq, chair of the Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (Aug.2004)

COMMENTARY: "The Earth Has A Fever" -- A Mexican perspective by Homero Aridjis, president of PEN

Recent publications by Ross Gelbspan:

· "Rewiring the World," op-ed, The Boston Globe, Dec. 21, 2003

· "A Challenging Climate for Oxfam," Oxfam Exchange, Fall, 2003

· "Cape Wind or Climate Hell," op-ed, The Standard-Times, May 18, 2003

· "Rx For An Ailing Planet," The Boston Globe, (April 22, 2003)

· From TomPaine.com: "ExxonMobil Caves to Science" (Nov. 2002)

· "Beyond Kyoto Lite." (The Bush administration's absence from the climate talks could actually lead other nations to pursue a bolder approach.)The American Prospect, (Feb. 2002)

· "Terrorism, Recession and the Climate Crisis," (Oct. 2001)

· Toward A Real Kyoto Protocol, inaugural address of "The Climate Talks Project," (Oct. 2001)

· "A Modest Proposal To Stop Global Warming". While evidence continues to mount that humans are heating the globe, the world's nations squabble over a complex fix too timid to solve the problem. But we can stop global warming-by calling an end to the Carbon Age. Sierra (May/June, 2001)

· Global Warmers, The Nation (On ExxonMobil's emergence as a major funder of the "greenhouse skeptics")(March, 2001)

· "Bush's Climate Follies," Why the climate issue might undo the Bush Presidency,The American Prospect, (July, 2001)

· "Bush's Gambit on Climate," Christian Science Monitor (April, 2001)

· "Rx For A Planetary Fever", The American Prospect, details three strategies to stabilize the climate and create a huge surge of growth in the global economy. (May 8, 2000)

· "Cool It, World," The Nation, on the collapse of the climate talks and the narrowing window of opportunity (Jan. 2001)

· "Diddling At The Hague," The Boston Globe. Even as the pace of climate change accelerates, the international climate negotiations could be entering their terminal phase. (Nov. 19, 2000)

· "Help Me! I'm Melting! Why the Candidates Are Avoiding Climate Change," Grist Magazine (October, 2000)

· "The Climate Crisis and Carbon Trading", Foreign Policy In Focus, (July, 2000)

UPDATED Industry Disinformation:

· Enhanced CO2 slashes plant diversity (June, 2003)

· New GOP memo to Bush: Deny Scientific Consensus (March, 2003)

· ExxonMobil behind Bush's ouster of Dr. Robert Watson as head of IPCC (April, 2002)