Climate assessment in U.S. hits uncertainty as Trump repeals authors' credibility
Scathing News:
Trump axes climate report team, sparking chaos and concern
Washington DC - Climate scientists and environmental watchdogs are up in arms after the Trump administration axed the entire team behind the United States' premier climate report. The move threatens to derail a crucial assessment mandated by Congress and vital to the nation's readiness against global warming.
In a coldhearted email, the administration informed contributors to the Sixth National Climate Assessment (NCA6) that their roles were being terminated, with no timeline offered for a potential re-engagement. The decision follows the sweeping firings earlier this month of climate scientists and public health experts across federal institutions.
Rachel Cleetus, a senior policy director at the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) and a former author on NCA6's coastal impacts chapter, blasted the move as reckless and politically motivated. "The Trump administration has senselessly taken an ax to a crucial United States climate science report by dismissing its authors without cause or a plan," Cleetus said in a statement. "Trying to bury this report won't alter the scientific facts, but without this information, our country risks flying blind into a world made more dangerous by human-caused climate change."
The White House didn't respond to a request for comment. Other authors also took to social media to confirm they had received identical notices, expressing frustration and alarm over the disruption to the scientific process.
Since returning to office, Trump has embarked on an aggressive overhaul of federal institutions, steering agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the National Institutes of Health away from climate and environmental research.
The disruption of NCA6 comes at a perilous time. Global temperatures have begun to breach 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming above preindustrial levels, fueling worsening wildfires, droughts, floods, and storms across the United States.
The National Climate Assessment, first published in 2000, is a cornerstone of US government climate understanding, synthesizing input from federal agencies and hundreds of external scientists. Previous iterations have warned of mounting risks to America's economy, infrastructure, and health if greenhouse gas emissions are not curtailed.
While not directly prescriptive on policy, the reports have served as critical guideposts for lawmakers, businesses, and local governments planning climate resilience measures. Under the Global Change Research Act of 1990, the federal government is legally obligated to deliver the climate assessment to Congress and the president. It remains unclear whether the administration's actions will ultimately delay, compromise, or cancel the report entirely.
In the wake of this move, scientists warn that the United States' preparedness for climate change is being deeply undermined, prioritizing short-term political gains over long-term national security and survival.
- The NCA6 serves as a vital resource for policymakers, businesses, and local governments seeking actionable insights on climate impacts and adaptation strategies. The dismissal of its authors jeopardizes its timely completion.
- The decision risks fragmenting climate-related efforts across federal agencies, hobbling interagency collaboration and reducing institutional resilience.
- The dismissal of nearly 400 scientists and experts risks a "brain drain" and weakens future scientific capacity in federal projects.
- The collapse of the US Global Change Research Program (USGCRP), which coordinates the NCA reports, potentially discourages expert participation in federal climate projects.
- Without the NCA6, the government faces reduced transparency in tracking climate policy effectiveness, complicating congressional oversight and public awareness.
- The erosion of American leadership in climate science could weaken global climate governance and partnerships, as the United States historically led international climate research and agreements.
- The dismissal of NCA6 authors poses a significant threat to its timely completion as the NCA6 serves as a vital resource for policymakers, businesses, and local governments seeking actionable insights on climate impacts and adaptation strategies.
- The decision risks fragmenting climate-related efforts across federal agencies, hobbling interagency collaboration and reducing institutional resilience.
- The dismissal of nearly 400 scientists and experts risks a "brain drain" and weakens future scientific capacity in federal projects.
- The collapse of the US Global Change Research Program (USGCRP), which coordinates the NCA reports, potentially discourages expert participation in federal climate projects.
- Without the NCA6, the government faces reduced transparency in tracking climate policy effectiveness, complicating congressional oversight and public awareness. Furthermore, the erosion of American leadership in climate science could weaken global climate governance and partnerships, as the United States historically led international climate research and agreements.
