A certain number of federal employees of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the American Federal Agency which monitors and models the oceans and the atmosphere in order to predict climate and weather changes, received the ‘Order to temporarily stop communicating with foreign nationals, including those who work directly with the US government, Wired has learned.
An internal email obtained by Wired shows that the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) of the NOAA received the order to suspend “all international commitments”. (I emphasize theirs.) The message stipulates that orders extend to participation in international commissions and even by email “with foreign national colleagues”.
The email also instructs NMFS employees – responsible for promoting the conservation of marine life and the sustainability of American seafood sources – to subject details on any work in progress with international partners for verification Higher superiors, including those of the American trade department, of the NOAA Umbrella agency.
The NOAA and the Commerce Department did not immediately respond to requests for comments. The reason behind the ordering orders is not immediately clear, and it is not clear how long they will last.
According to a source with knowledge of the operations of the NMFS, granted anonymity because – with other sources of this story – they were not allowed to speak to the press, the officials of the Noaa discussed during A meeting on Wednesday feeling targeted by the Trump administration, saying that their “huge exhibition” work faces due to offshore wind projects and participation In international wind power workshops, conferences and summits.
The agency provided, for example, the reception of international stock markets and trainees this summer associated with an offshore wind development working group Founded by the International Council for the exploration of the sea, the oldest intergovernmental scientific organization in the world.
President Donald Trump published a executive decree During his first day in power designed to paralyze the growth of wind energy. In a postnaugural speech, He told rally lovers: “We are not going to make the wind.”
According to another source from the NOAA, the ordering orders extend to the national satellite, data and environmental information service. In addition to collecting data from the whole federal government, Nesdis relies on a wide range of international partners. Nesdis meteorological and climatic data are essential not only to the safety of air transport, but also to the fight against drought, to monitor the destruction of coral reefs and to safeguard shipping carriers of railways against weather conditions dangerous.
According to Nesdis websiteHe works in close collaboration with the European Space Agency, which gives access to data via a collection of sentinel satellites maintained by EUMETSAT, an international meteorological surveillance agency made up of more than 30 member states.
Wired reported on Wednesday that NOAA officials were ordered to grant Nikhil Rajpal, a former Twitter employee who seems to have no expertise in ocean and atmospheric sciences, the power to modify documents concerning the work of the ‘ Agency organized by Google Sites. The orders, according to sources, came from the interim trade secretary, Jeremy Pelter.
Government files show that Rajpal now has work email addresses with the effective working group of the Noaa and Elon Musk. Wired has also learned that Rajal is listed as an “expert” on a list at the staff management office, the government’s human resources department, where Doge agents have set up a server gathering information on federal employees who have been used to communicate the administration of delayed resignation on several occasions.
The NOAA was a popular target of the Conservatives, many of which have called for various functions to be dismantled or privatized.
