{"id":382776,"date":"2025-06-11T19:04:05","date_gmt":"2025-06-11T17:04:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=382776"},"modified":"2025-06-11T19:04:07","modified_gmt":"2025-06-11T17:04:07","slug":"empty-seats-and-hurricane-histrionics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=382776","title":{"rendered":"Empty Seats and Hurricane Histrionics"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"723\" height=\"362\" data-attachment-id=\"382779\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=382779\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/0Screenshot-2025-06-11-190207.png?fit=1110%2C555&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1110,555\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"0Screenshot 2025-06-11 190207\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/0Screenshot-2025-06-11-190207.png?fit=723%2C362&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/0Screenshot-2025-06-11-190207.png?resize=723%2C362&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-382779\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/0Screenshot-2025-06-11-190207.png?resize=1024%2C512&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/0Screenshot-2025-06-11-190207.png?resize=300%2C150&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/0Screenshot-2025-06-11-190207.png?resize=768%2C384&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/0Screenshot-2025-06-11-190207.png?w=1110&amp;ssl=1 1110w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 723px) 100vw, 723px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From <a href=\"https:\/\/wattsupwiththat.com\/2025\/06\/10\/empty-seats-and-hurricane-histrionics\/\">Watts Up With That?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By <a href=\"https:\/\/wattsupwiththat.com\/author\/jeeztheadmin\/\">Charles Rotter<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last week, we highlighted the coming spectacle of Indivisible\u2019s climate-themed dramatics in&nbsp;<em><a href=\"https:\/\/wattsupwiththat.com\/2025\/06\/03\/theater-of-the-absurd-indivisibles-storm-show-rolls-into-red-florida\/\">Theater of the Absurd: Indivisible\u2019s Storm Show Rolls into Red Florida<\/a><\/em>. As predicted, the show did go on\u2014and it flopped harder than a soggy protest sign in a rainstorm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If a protest flops in the middle of Miami and nobody\u2019s there to hear it, does it still make a soundbite? Thanks to CBS Miami, we now know the answer: yes\u2014but just barely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"723\" height=\"407\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/xGe1Szi9Mns?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This past Sunday, the fear-mongering roadshow known as&nbsp;<em>Riders on the Storm<\/em>&nbsp;rolled into Maurice A. Ferr\u00e9 Park with all the thunder of a wet match. Indivisible staged what they called a rally against NOAA budget cuts. It was the political equivalent of shouting into an empty parking lot. Less than a dozen attendees managed to assemble\u2014a turnout so small, one might wonder whether even the protestors believed their own hype.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The only media coverage of this exercise in dramatic futility came from CBS Miami, which generously pointed its cameras at what looked more like a PTA gathering than a movement. In what can only be described as an editorial mercy mission, the network squeezed together the few scattered individuals holding signs in an attempt to simulate a crowd. Spoiler: it didn\u2019t work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The CBS segment, delivered in hushed tones befitting a eulogy, centered on two former NOAA employees turned political stage props: Andy Hazelton and John Cortinas. Hazelton, who joined NOAA in October 2024 and was let go by February 2025, solemnly declared, \u201cIt\u2019s not political\u201d\u2014a statement immediately followed by political slogans, chants, and appeals for more federal money. Cortinas, meanwhile, announced he had retired rather than participate in what he ominously described as a \u201cdirection\u201d he didn\u2019t like. Brave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both men emphasized how NOAA\u2019s work \u201cpays for itself,\u201d a classic bureaucratic euphemism which, when translated, means \u201cwe\u2019re entitled to your money indefinitely and without scrutiny.\u201d The network dutifully repeated claims that NOAA\u2019s budget cuts\u2014part of a federal workforce streamlining effort\u2014could make people \u201cmore vulnerable\u201d during hurricane season. Apparently, decentralizing disaster preparedness to states like Florida, which actually has a robust emergency response system, is now seen as reckless endangerment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Meanwhile, National Hurricane Center Director Mike Brennan calmly reminded the audience that, despite all this melodrama, the agency remains \u201cfully operational\u201d and will issue forecasts \u201cas they always do\u201d. So much for the \u201cNo Forecast. No Warning. No Escape!\u201d tagline plastered on Indivisible\u2019s flyers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And then there\u2019s the capstone quote from Miami Indivisible\u2019s Raquel Pacheco, who decried the budget adjustments as \u201can attack on science,\u201d claiming they jeopardize \u201clife-saving\u201d research for millions along Florida\u2019s coastline. Again, this protest took place in Florida\u2014home of arguably the most prepared state-level emergency management agency in the country. The irony is not just rich, it\u2019s downright decadent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let\u2019s not forget the visuals. The CBS video, as well as screenshots captured from the park, show more palm trees than people. No tidal wave of outrage. No energized grassroots uprising. Just a sad assembly of taxpayer-funded sign-wavers, lamenting the loss of their federal sinecures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This entire performance smacks of the usual pattern: create a false crisis, blame a political opponent, demand more centralized control. In this case, the script wore thin. The \u201cstorm\u201d Indivisible hoped to ride into Miami turned out to be little more than a fart in a breeze\u2014audible only because the media leaned in close and turned up the mic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This wasn\u2019t a rally. It was a requiem\u2014for credibility, for momentum, and for the illusion that anyone outside of activist circles actually believes these protest theatrics represent public opinion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So here\u2019s to&nbsp;<em>Riders on the Storm<\/em>, the sequel nobody asked for and even fewer attended. Next time, they may want to try a new strategy\u2014like renting an audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">H\/T again to Mumbles McGuirck<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Last week, we highlighted the coming spectacle of Indivisible\u2019s climate-themed dramatics in\u00a0Theater of the Absurd: Indivisible\u2019s Storm Show Rolls into Red Florida. As predicted, the show did go on\u2014and it flopped harder than a soggy protest sign in a rainstorm.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":382779,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691835770,691835771,691835773,691830881,691835772,691835769],"class_list":{"0":"post-382776","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-cbs-miami","9":"tag-former-noaa-employees","10":"tag-mike-brennan","11":"tag-national-hurricane-center","12":"tag-noaas-budget-cuts","13":"tag-riders-on-the-storm","15":"fallback-thumbnail"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/0Screenshot-2025-06-11-190207.png?fit=1110%2C555&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1BzO","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":381526,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=381526","url_meta":{"origin":382776,"position":0},"title":"Theater of the Absurd: Indivisible\u2019s Storm Show Rolls into Red Florida","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"05\/06\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"This Sunday in Miami, the climate theatrics continue as Indivisible hosts its latest eco-panic pageant,\u00a0\u201cRIDERS ON THE STORM.\u201d\u00a0Set against the scenic backdrop of Maurice A. 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If forecasts are correct, this season will mark the seventh consecutive above-normal hurricane season for the\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/0hurricane_season.jpg?fit=1024%2C735&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/0hurricane_season.jpg?fit=1024%2C735&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/0hurricane_season.jpg?fit=1024%2C735&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/0hurricane_season.jpg?fit=1024%2C735&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":202096,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=202096","url_meta":{"origin":382776,"position":2},"title":"Getting ready for another destructive Atlantic hurricane season?","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"30\/05\/2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Guest Essay by Kip Hansen \u2014 29 May 2022 National Public Radio\u00a0is one of the chief purveyors of biased information about climate and climate-related issues in the United States.\u00a0 Their Editorial Narratives for all topics falling under the classification \u201cClimate\u201d or \u201cEnvironment\u201d are strictly aligned with various UN organization official\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/0Screenshot-2022-05-30-093248.png?fit=1046%2C527&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/0Screenshot-2022-05-30-093248.png?fit=1046%2C527&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/0Screenshot-2022-05-30-093248.png?fit=1046%2C527&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/0Screenshot-2022-05-30-093248.png?fit=1046%2C527&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":212274,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=212274","url_meta":{"origin":382776,"position":3},"title":"NOAA still expects above-normal Atlantic hurricane season","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"07\/08\/2022","format":false,"excerpt":"We like a prediction, so we\u2019ll see how this one goes after \u201aa relatively slow start to hurricane season, with no major storms developing in the Atlantic\u2018. NOAA\u2019s\u00a0ENSO blog\u00a0says \u201aLa Ni\u00f1a suppresses hurricane activity in the central and eastern Pacific basins, and enhances it in the Atlantic basin\u2018, which influences\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/0nina_wind.jpg?fit=777%2C485&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/0nina_wind.jpg?fit=777%2C485&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/0nina_wind.jpg?fit=777%2C485&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/0nina_wind.jpg?fit=777%2C485&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":215940,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=215940","url_meta":{"origin":382776,"position":4},"title":"\u2018Hurricane Season Slowest Start in 30 Years\u2019 \u2013 Media Spins \u2018Damage Control\u2019 Stories","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"27\/08\/2022","format":false,"excerpt":"But when science fails to produce accurate forecasts, who should we follow then?","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/image-1261.png?fit=1200%2C763&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/image-1261.png?fit=1200%2C763&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/image-1261.png?fit=1200%2C763&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/image-1261.png?fit=1200%2C763&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/image-1261.png?fit=1200%2C763&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":201255,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=201255","url_meta":{"origin":382776,"position":5},"title":"NOAA Predicts Above-Normal 2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"24\/05\/2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Ongoing La Ni\u00f1a, above-average Atlantic temperatures set the stage for busy season ahead May 24, 2022 Forecasters at NOAA\u2019s\u00a0Climate Prediction Center, a division of the National Weather Service, are predicting above-average hurricane activity this year \u2014 which would make it the seventh consecutive above-average hurricane season. NOAA\u2019s outlook for the\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/0image-45.png?fit=1024%2C512&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/0image-45.png?fit=1024%2C512&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/0image-45.png?fit=1024%2C512&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/0image-45.png?fit=1024%2C512&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/382776","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/121246920"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=382776"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/382776\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":382780,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/382776\/revisions\/382780"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/382779"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=382776"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=382776"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=382776"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}