London tornado researcher concerned changes at NOAA could disrupt cross-border research [Video]

New, restrictive policy directives aimed at U.S. climate and weather scientists have some Canadian researchers concerned about the future of their work and the future of a field that relies heavily on open data and cross-border collaboration.

Emails seen by CBC News show staff at the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are being directed to submit for review any correspondence with international counterparts that are scientific in nature and involve scientific data.

The emails from NOAA’s policy team, which were first reported by Wired, also direct employees to receive senior approval on “all upcoming international engagements” until the end of March. They must also submit any virtual meetings for review if they touch on particular topics, such as climate.

“I’d say it’s noticeably quieter. We’re not getting a lot of emails from people that are working under NOAA,” said David Sills, director of the Northern Tornadoes Project (NTP), based out of Western University in London, …