The NWS Cuts are Disastrous and Not Many People Realize

(Opinion)

By Stephen Kennedy

Since the Trump administration started just over 100 days ago, federal

employees have been getting laid off left and right. As of right now, over 100,000

workers have been laid off and another 150,000 positions are on the chopping

block next, according to Sam Berger and Jacob Leibenluft of Center on Budget

and Policy Priorities. “The consequences of a depleted workforce are already

being felt across the country,” they said. "These impacts will only increase over

time.”

The reason for these cuts is because President Trump and Elon Musk’s

Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) effort to privatize the federal

government have largely been uninterrupted due to the slim Republican majority

in Congress and some help from Democratic Senators like Senate Minority

Leader Chuck Schumer of New York. This is a huge contrast from the Trump

administration’s first term, as Schumer was a harsh critic and strategic leader

along with then House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).

Without these checks and balances, National Parks are in danger of being

privatized, which would allow the Trump administration to drill on those lands.

Many of those lands are home to not only endangered animals, but thousands of

Native Americans live there as well. Despite all this, the most consequential

effects of this are efforts to mitigate climate change and predict natural disasters.

The National Park Conservation Association (NPCA) estimates that the

Trump admin could bring a reduction to the Park System of up to 75% and

budget cuts of up to $1 billion.

It's very apparent that the federal government has been taken over by

loyalists of Mr. Trump. On April 25, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration (NOAA) published this release about an executive order that Mr.Trump signed, which would allow “mineral exploration” of the ocean’s depths.

Conservationists have warned that this decision could lead to mass extinction

events, disrupt the supply chain and interfere with the oceans ability to capture

and store carbon dioxide.

“The harm caused by deep-sea mining isn’t restricted to the ocean floor: it will impact the entire water column, top to bottom, and everyone and everything relying on it,” said Jeff Watters, vice president of external affairs at the Ocean Conservatory, as reported in the Guardian.

It is unclear how many people will lose their jobs because of these mass

layoffs in the next four years, but come n