[IP] AccuWeather's Side of the Story
Read the end and it still sounds like the NWB is restricted in how it
can present the information. This is lots of noise and little help djf
Begin forwarded message:
From: Anthony Watson <atrigueiro@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: May 5, 2005 12:07:33 PM EDT
To: dave@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: AccuWeather's Side of the Story
Hello Mr. Farber:
Read about Santorum's Bill on your list. I was recently on the
Accuweather site and they had a link to their side of the story on
this issue. Thought you'd be interested.
Thanks,
AW
Pending Legislation Affecting the National Weather Service
Background
The National Weather Service (NWS) was created by an Act of Congress
in 1890. Congress has been working for a decade to develop a new NWS
governing policy.
Three bills are now being considered by Congress to restructure the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which was
created by Executive Order under President Nixon.
A bill drafted by NOAA and recently sent to Capitol Hill would create
an Organic Act for NOAA and essentially dissolve the National Weather
Service as a distinct agency and integrate it within NOAA, possibly
as "NOAA's Weather Service," diluting its focus.
A second bill, HR 50, would also create an Organic Act for NOAA, and
recognizes the National Weather Service as an agency within NOAA, but
without a well-defined mission.
The third bill, S.786, introduced by Senator Santorum of
Pennsylvania, would recognize and continue the National Weather
Service as a distinct agency, revising and modernizing its 1890
Organic Act.
The Santorum Bill Guarantees Unfettered Public Access
Of the three pieces of legislation now before Congress, the Santorum
bill is the only bill that would guarantee unfettered public access
to "all data, guidance, forecasts, and warnings received, collected,
created, or prepared by NOAA or NWS." (Sec.2.(c)(1))
Additionally, it would continue the current methods of distribution
of this information (1) through data portals for large volume users
and (2) to the public using the methods as determined by the Commerce
Department under existing federal law, including the Internet, as is
now the case. (Sec.2.(c)(2))
Opponents of the bill have asserted that the under the bill, control
of government data and information would be shifted to the Commercial
Weather Industry and that citizens would have to pay twice for the
data and information. This is false.
In fact, the Santorum bill is the only bill before Congress that
specifically requires the data be released to the public in real time.
Without the Santorum bill, no one can point to a specific requirement
in federal law that weather information be released to the public in
real time. Nothing prevents the NWS or NOAA (if NWS is absorbed into
NOAA) from bottling up the information, as it has done on various
occasions, releasing some information and failing or refusing to
release other information.
Santorum Bill Reestablishes NWS's Previously Existing Non-Compete Policy
The Santorum bill reestablishes the NWS's own non-competition policy,
which NWS has had in effect, in one form or another, for over 55
years. (Sec.2.(b))
That policy, repealed by NOAA in December 2004, has been the
underlying support for the growth in the Commercial Weather Industry
in the United States. That policy has led to free and widely
available weather products and services for the public through all
forms of media, including cable weather channels, television weather
presenters, newspaper weather pages, radio weather personalities, and
an explosion of private sector weather and portal web sites. It is
estimated that 85 to 95 percent of the weather information reaching
the public comes from the Commercial Weather Industry.
That policy is also what has led to the development of specialized
weather services at reasonable prices tailored to the needs of
business, industry, agriculture, transportation, emergency
management, government and many other applications. These services
have greatly enhanced the efficiency of weather-affected operations
nationwide. It is estimated by the government that almost a third of
the economy is affected by weather and the Commercial Weather
Industry is the primary source relied on for weather information
within that part of the economy.
In November 2004, the House and Senate, with bipartisan support,
jointly adopted a position similar to S.786 in regard to non-
competition in the provision of weather services. (Conference Report
to H.R. 4818) The Santorum bill is also in line with the new national
policy on space transportation which states that the government must
"refrain from conducting activities with commercial applications that
preclude, deter, or compete with U.S. commercial space transport
activities..."
The Bill Requires NWS Information to be Fully Available to the Public
Some have attacked the Santorum bill with the argument that it would
place control of federally collected data within the hands of the
private sector and cause American citizens to have to pay twice for
data, information and forecasts that the government collects and
generates. This is false. The bill, for the first time in history,
would legislatively require all NOAA/NWS information produced to be
fully available to the public directly from the agency. (Sec.2.(c)(1))
In fact, the Santorum bill is the only bill pending that requires
NOAA/NWS information to be "issued in real time, without delay, in a
manner that ensures that all members of the public have opportunity
for simultaneous and equal access." (Sec.2.(c)(1))
No such requirement currently exists and NOAA/NWS currently can, and
sometimes does, delay and withhold information from the public and
the Commercial Weather Industry, including the media. Among the
information sometimes withheld are real-time snowfall accumulation
reports, cooperative observer reports, hurricane reconnaissance
reports, and other critical information. Withholding such information
can endanger lives and property.
The Bill Provides for the Widest Possible Distribution of Information
Some have said the Santorum bill would prohibit information being
made available on the Internet by government. This is false. The bill
envisions the widest possible distribution and has no restriction
relating to the Internet.
The Bill Causes the NWS to Focus on Its Core Mission of Saving Lives
and Property
The Santorum bill requires the National Weather Service to focus on a
core mission, including protection of the public through a mandated
requirement of providing severe weather forecasts and warnings for
the protection of life and property. (Sec.2.(a)(1))
The Bill Brings the NWS in Line with Federal Requirements for Other
Agencies
Lastly, the Santorum bill brings NOAA/NWS into line with the rules
that apply to other federal agencies, by requiring uniform release to
the nation of "any weather data, information, guidance, forecast or
warning that might influence or affect the market value of any
product, service, commodity, tradable, or business...," and at the
same time prohibiting individual government employees from providing
specialized personal or "insider" agency information to some citizens
and not to others. (Sec.2.(d))
This would, for example, prohibit NWS employees from providing
information, except through full, timely public release, which might
influence money and market transactions. Such employees are already
prohibited from investing in weather futures by Commerce Department
letter policy, because of these concerns.
The interests of the public and the Commercial Weather Industry are
aligned on all of these issues.
-------------------------------------
You are subscribed as roessler@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To manage your subscription, go to
http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip
Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/