No mention in this press release of what it might actually accomplish. Meanwhile a full scale siting assessment and quality control analysis of the entire NWS COOP network remains undone. On the plus side, they won’t now be able to use the CRU excuse of “we are understaffed” to avoid the FOIA requests surely coming their way. h/t to Joe D’Aleo – Anthony
Contact: John Leslie FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
301-713-0214 Sept. 16, 2010
NOAA Awards Contract to Manage Climate Data Records
NOAA officials today announced that Global Science & Technology, Inc., of Greenbelt, Md., has been awarded a contract to help manage the agency’s satellite Climate Data Records (CDR) program, which is based at NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C.
The contract has a one-year base period, with two one-year option periods. The total contract value is $10,307,788.80. The contract will enable Global Science & Technology to add up to 25 jobs at NCDC’s Asheville location.
Scientists use CDRs to detect, assess, model and predict climate change and variability. Decision-makers use this information to develop effective strategies to adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change in their local communities.
Through this contract, Global Science & Technology, Inc. will provide management support of the CDR program, including project control and oversight services, system and product development, and customer and community outreach.
“Global Science & Technology, Inc. brings experience as an industry leader to the CDR program, which is developing some of the most important climate data products in the world,” said Scott Hausman, acting director of NOAA’s NCDC.
NOAA’s NCDC is the largest environmental data center in the world. NCDC data help the scientific community and policymakers assess global climate variability and trends. The work on this contract will support the suite of climate services that NOAA provides government, business and community leaders, so they can make informed decisions.
“This is a remarkable opportunity for the National Climatic Data Center and for western North Carolina to expand our climate research and create up to 25 new high-paying, stable jobs in our area,” said Rep. Heath Shuler. “NCDC is home to the world’s most impressive and comprehensive collection of climate data, and this is one more step forward in making our mountain region unsurpassed in climate research in America.”
Scientists, researchers and leaders in government and industry use monthly U.S. and global temperature reports from NCDC to help track trends and other changes in the world’s climate. These climate services have a wide range of practical uses, from helping farmers know what and when to plant, to guiding resource managers with critical decisions about water, energy and other vital assets.
NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Visit us online or on Facebook.
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Of course they should have signed the secrecy agreement called “The Holy creed of Global Warming” when applying to get the contract. 🙂
http://www.directmet.com/green_philosophy.html
At our 2008 corporate retreat, GST decided to embrace a “green” philosophy to address our dependence on petroleum (as both a company and as individual employees) and the threat that global warming has to life on Earth.
Gatekeeping anyone?
NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun
What do they define as “the surface of the sun”?
GST’s GREEN Philosophy:
When the cost of oil raced past $130 per barrel and gas prices rose above $4.00 per gallon in 2008, many of us questioned our driving habits and the use of petroleum-based products. Escalating prices affect our disposable income and force us to change our patterns of consumption. We have identified the enemy and the enemy is our dependence on petroleum. Even with some of the recent decreases in the cost of gas, many people are becoming a little bit greener today than they were yesterday. One thing is certain and that is that we will see higher prices at the pump again; the question of course, is when.
At our 2008 corporate retreat, GST decided to embrace a “green” philosophy to address our dependence on petroleum (as both a company and as individual employees) and the threat that global warming has to life on Earth. We recognize that there are as many definitions of green as there are shades of green. Ours is the following:
GST’s business strategy reflects our values of being a responsible corporation to its employees, customers, communities, and the environment.
Specifically, the GST green philosophy speaks to three objectives: 1) to manage our internal resources to reduce energy resource consumption; 2) to provide products and services to our customers that assist with reducing their energy resource consumption; and 3) to create a business infrastructure that positions us to obtain a significant return on our investment to meet our business objectives while addressing our customers’ challenges and needs related to sustainability.
IT’s A DUCK!
In the UK, government statistics are normally outsourced when they want to avoid things like FOI law and being subject to parliamentary scrutiny … it also makes it a lot easier for the next administration just to dump the whole thing!
Hmm, this sounds more like ” pork barrel politics ” than anything else… Hard to believe ‘civil servants’ couldnt have done the job for much less…. $10 million and upto 25 jobs seems way to high.
“NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources.”
A somewhat agressive mission, to say the least, some might say an impossible goal to achieve. As a matter of fact, I would say that.
“No mention in this press release of what it might actually accomplish”—or what it might actually avoid.
http://www.linkedin.com/companies/global-science-%26-technology-inc
Founded in 1991. They also have an office in Asheville, NC (a very pretty town by the way, be sure to see Biltmore Estates). I’m thinking GST was chosen because they are sufficiently loyal to the $cause$ and they have an office in the same place as NCDC. GST looks like it lives off government contracts. Per the profile from above: “Global Science & Technology’s major clients include NASA Goddard Space Flight Center(GSFC), NASA Headquarters, NOAA, Department of Defense (DoD), Department of Justice (DOJ), and the State of West Virginia. Much of Global Science & Technology’s work has been in direct support of NASA and NOAA science missions and related data systems.”
In any event, GST isn’t going to do things to sour its relationship with the honeypot.
This method has been used for years to skirt FOIA requests. Farm the info or data to a third party who is not subject to FOIA. I’m not saying that it’s going to happen, but with the data in the hands of a company, can they now claim copyright on it? Maybe sell it back to the government? Issue DMCA takedown orders?
Something stinks about all this.. and it’s not just Al Gore.
I was thinking along the similar lines. But I was thinking, “OK, so NOAA outsources data management, which NOAA used to do. Which means there’s less for NOAA employees to do.. so who gets fired? Nobody? Oh, so we’re just spending $10 million to do the same job? Great.”
I’m moving to an island and starting my own country. Until the sea increase swallows the island and I’m besieged by angry walruses and polar bears seeking refuge.
If they outsource their thinking, why not outsource data storage?
Shouldn’t that be Global Climate Disruption?
GST:
GST’s Mission and Vision
Our mission is to apply our leading scientific and technical expertise toward solving the challenges fundamental to advanced science and technology-based enterprises.
Our vision is to capitalize on our unique knowledge and accomplishments to sustain our growth as a financially stable and responsible corporate citizen with increasing employee ownership.
“Through this contract, Global Science & Technology, Inc. will provide management support of the CDR program, including project control and oversight services, system and product development, and customer and community outreach”
.. system and product development
Will this put the system(s) and product(s) beyond the reach of FOI?
Why this move, and why now?
Anthony, Slashdot is running a very interesting article from Physics World about peer review being highly sensitive to poor refereeing. It’s a fascinating read and made me immediately picture Michael Mann! I think perhaps you should cover it too.
Yes, as posters above have said, won’t they be able to claim IP on their data and methods? And also avoid FOI requests (is this the case in the States)?
The announcement says “satellite” climate data records. No one here has addressed this. What is the danger in giving some control of the sat data, which largely contradicts the GCMs, over to this “green” firm?
Wow, 25 jobs, $10.3 mil over 3 years. $136,000 /job/yr. Time to dust off the old resume.
“…and create up to 25 new high-paying, stable jobs in our area,” said Rep. Heath Shuler.”
Certainly looks generous enough remuneration per job. I guess three years is considered stable in the current economy. Either that or they’re is the assummption that once their in on the job keeping the contract will be easy.
I don’t get this. They outsource, at some cost, and this means they then ADD 25 jobs? What am I missing here?
(Oh, right, it’s government. Forgive me my momentary lapse.)
It is worse than we thought: The chief scientist is into carbon accounting.
http://www.directmet.com/I_am_GST-Execs%20FOR%20WEB.htm
They just outsourced their FOIA requests………….
J Hekman says:
September 17, 2010 at 10:56 am
The announcement says “satellite” climate data records. No one here has addressed this. What is the danger in giving some control of the sat data, which largely contradicts the GCMs, over to this “green” firm?
=========================================
J, expect to see the sat data homoginized, pasturized and beat into submission……….
Then try getting a FOI from GST
Ssam seems to be asking the trillion dollar question. “I’m not saying that it’s going to happen, but with the data in the hands of a company, can they now claim copyright on it?”
Now it’s entirely possible, as Ssam mentions that hiding data from FOI requests isn’t what’s behind this. Nothing mentioned so far indicated the company has a track record with this sort of activity and they seem to have been in position to have been doing so. It seems like something we want to know more though. Anyone know what they handle for the agencies they work for and if there’s ever been a problem with them?
Good sense would demand we look deeper and as Enneagram pointed to, apparently from the company, “2) to provide products and services to our customers that assist with reducing their energy resource consumption”
They seem to admit to be merchants of ‘products’ that depend on given outcomes within the climate and economic policy debate.
We cannot rule out that this is an honest company that was merely branding itself to appeal to a market and that it respects FOI law on that alone, though. Clearly there’s a lot of government contracts going out to those that look, walk and act like ducks. Afterall, it’s not doing the duck-step on every issue that gets people branded ‘deniers’ and ‘liars’.
Be interesting to see how it all unfolds.