Proposal to Shut Down the National Center for Atmospheric Research

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NCAR's headquarters on Table Mesa near Boulder, Colorado.
Courtesy of Dr. Roger Pielke, Jr. 

The Trump Administration has proposed to shut down National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) located in the Rocky Mountain foothills (specifically, Table Mesa) near Boulder, Colorado. The usual suspects are furious or think it is "past time."

The issue, as I see it, is that NCAR was originally set up to be the nation's premier institution of applied meteorological research: thunderstorm safety, and that type of thing. Unfortunately, just a few years after its creation, it was "captured" by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) -- which changed its focus that atmospheric scientists call "basic" research. An example was (and this real) how much carbon dioxide is released every time a bee farts? 

While there is nothing wrong with basic research, we have an imbalance in the U.S. where too much tax money goes to basic research and too little goes to little to applied research (exactly where a thunderstorm will form and how strong it will become). As with any large organization (800+) there are some superb scientists and some who have done really sloppy work. 

From roughly 2000 to 2015, NCAR got caught up in climate change politics. It has backed out of the politics in recent years 

That is the factual situation regarding NCAR. Now, the politics......

Unfortunately, the (strongly) left-leaning atmospheric research community has gone out of its way to offend and burn bridges to the Trump Administration during his first and current terms. It appears Trump remembers the insults hurled his way and made plans to get even. The very people who have been taunting Trump all along are now shouting the loudest, "this is intolerable!" Getting into the cage and pulling the tail of the lion is a very bad idea. 

One of the best things that could happen to NCAR would be to move it far away from the extremely left-wing city of Boulder and remove climate change entirely from its mission. Its staff could be halved without too many issues. The climate people could go to work for the U.S. Climate Assessment and numerous other institutions studying that field. 

My guess is there will be cuts, perhaps large, but that NCAR will not be completely shut down. 

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