West LA Times

A significant discussion on the importance of climate and weather science is set to take place as UCLA and UC ANR climate scientist Daniel Swain prepares to participate in the nationwide Stand Up For Science rallies. This comes a week after Swain issued a warning about potential negative impacts stemming from cuts to the National Weather Service (NWS) and related scientific efforts.

Swain will host a live briefing titled "YouTube Office Hours with Daniel Swain" on Friday, March 7, at 9 a.m. PT/12 p.m. ET. During this session, he will discuss how weather and climate science operate both in the United States and globally. He plans to address how recent changes at the federal level are disrupting these fields, as well as share ideas and strategies for students and recently dismissed federal employees specializing in weather, climate, and wildfire sciences.

Previously, Swain voiced his concerns over mass layoffs within NOAA and NWS during a live briefing shared on YouTube and social media platforms. He stated: “The mass firing of both new hires and recently promoted senior staff within #NOAA, including mission-critical and life-saving roles at the National Weather Service (#NWS), is profoundly alarming.” He emphasized that private sector entities cannot quickly replace NOAA's functions since they rely heavily on taxpayer-funded resources provided by NOAA.

Swain warned of dire consequences if further cuts occur: “there will be people who die in extreme weather events & related disasters who would not have otherwise." He described such actions as "spectacularly short-sighted," cautioning that they could severely impact public safety in America and hinder economic resilience against climate-related disasters.