Defense department’s satellite weather data is essential for saving lives

The Defense Department's decision to stop sharing crucial satellite weather data threatens to undermine critical hurricane forecasting and sea ice monitoring capabilities. As climate change fuels more intense and rapidly intensifying storms, as well as accelerating Arctic sea ice loss, real-time satellite data is paramount for accurately predicting these hazardous events and protecting lives and livelihoods. The Defense Department satellites have provided invaluable data for over 40 years, allowing forecasters to closely track hurricane formation, intensity changes, and movement. Without this data, there will be increasingly large gaps in storm observations, heightening the risk of forecasters being caught off guard by sudden intensification right before landfall. Similarly, the abrupt termination of sea ice data jeopardizes monitoring efforts in the Arctic and Antarctic at a time when sea ice is declining at unprecedented rates due to global warming. Continuing to share this satellite data is a matter of public safety and scientific responsibility. The cybersecurity concerns cited do not outweigh the immense value of this information for hurricane preparedness, maritime navigation, climate research, and ecological monitoring in the rapidly changing polar regions. I urge you to press the Defense Department to reinstate access to this critical satellite data without delay to safeguard vulnerable communities and preserve environmental monitoring capabilities.