Trump’s nominee wants to privatize the weather

Climate, News / June 22, 2019

He’s back…….recycling bad appointees.

“We sent a letter raising our concerns about his lack of scientific credentials and experience with many critical parts of NOAA’s mission relating to oceans and coasts; his previous efforts to privatize many functions of the National Weather Service (NWS), which would adversely affect its vital public safety mission; and his personal and family financial conflicts of interest with the work of NWS and NOAA.
Unfortunately, Mr. Myers has not satisfied these concerns.”  

Sierra Rise: Trump’s nominee wants to privatize the weather

Barry Myers has already been rejected twice to head the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and, with zero scientific expertise, he is completely unqualified for the role. Demand the Senate rejects Myers!

As the former CEO of AccuWeather — a private, for-profit weather service that uses NOAA data — Myers argued the agency should limit the amount of information it makes publicly available, information that is paid for by taxpayers.1Essentially, he’s pushing to privatize the weather so his family, which owns 90 percent of AccuWeather’s stock, can profit!

This conflict of interest is clear as day. Myers’ has even been quoted saying, “we [AccuWeather] work hard every day competing with other companies and we also have to compete with the government,” in reference to NOAA providing weather forecasts.2

Add your voice to convince your senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris to vote NO on Trump’s latest walking conflict of interest, Barry Myers.
Keep Myers' hands off weather forecasts!
Prior leaders at NOAA have ranged from geologists to astronauts. Myers, however, has zero scientific expertise or training — making him wholly unqualified for leading an agency that studies physical science, atmosphere, and the climate.In fact, this is only the second time in history that a non-scientist has been nominated to lead NOAA.3

As if that’s not bad enough, dozens of AccuWeather employees allege “widespread sexual harassment” under Myers’ watch, which prompted the Department of Labor to investigate.4

Myers’ nomination has been quickly shuffled through committee and is already up for a Senate floor vote. It’s clear that he is not fit for this role. Make sure Myers gets rejected a third, and hopefully final, time.

Speak up to keep Myers out!

Thank you for speaking up to protect science.

In it together,
The SierraRise Team

Trump has nominated Myers several times

….LETTER FROM LAST TIME.

Center for Biological Diversity * Climate Hawks Vote * Defenders of Wildlife * Earthjustice Endangered Species Coalition * Friends of the Earth * Hip Hop Caucus  League of Conservation Voters * Marine Conservation Institute  Natural Resources Defense Council * Sierra Club

March 19, 2018
Dear Senator,
We are writing to express our opposition to the nomination of Barry Myers, the former chief executive of AccuWeather, to become the next Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). 
In advance of Mr. Myers’s hearing before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation on November 29, 2017, numerous public interest groups expressed concerns about this nomination and urged the Committee to vet Mr. Myers thoroughly. 


We sent a letter raising our concerns about his lack of scientific credentials and experience with many critical parts of NOAA’s mission relating to oceans and coasts; his previous efforts to privatize many functions of the National Weather Service (NWS), which would adversely affect its vital public safety mission; and his personal and family financial conflicts of interest with the work of NWS and NOAA.
Unfortunately, Mr. Myers has not satisfied these concerns. 


Since the hearing, three prominent ethics experts1, including the former director of the United States Office of Government Ethics, have evaluated the unique situation his appointment to NOAA would create, and have found that unless he agrees to an expansive recusal from much of the work of the agency, profound and unprecedented conflicts of interest would exist. 

As NOAA administrator, Mr. Myers would make many decisions that could directly or indirectly affect Accuweather, which is his life’s work and potentially the source of his future livelihood. 


Mr. Myers has not agreed to such an expansive recusal. In light of this refusal, we cannot be confident that, if confirmed, he would use his public office to advance the important science, conservation, and public safety mission of the agency, rather than that of the family business. 

1 Letter from Walter M. Shaub, Jr., Senior Director, Ethics, Campaign Legal Center to Senators Mitch McConnell, Charles Shumer, John Thune and Bill Nelson, Jan. 7, 2018; Letter from Noah Bookbinder, Executive Director, Center for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington to Senators Mitch McConnell, Charles Shumer, John Thune and Bill Nelson, Jan. 17, 2018; Letter from Robert Weissman, President, Public Citizen, to Senators, Dec. 6, 2017.
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