Trump administration criticized over climate change stance by National Academies
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) has issued a climate report, challenging the Trump administration's efforts to downplay the risks and severity of global warming. The report, released on Wednesday, was produced using an array of scientific studies and observations, not just the Department of Energy (DOE) report that the administration is relying on to support its case to repeal the 2009 endangerment finding.
The endangerment finding, determined by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), concluded that six greenhouse gases pose a danger to human health. The new NASEM report reinforces this determination, stating that the evidence supporting this conclusion is even stronger today.
The 16-member review committee that produced the climate report consists of experts in climate, health, oceans, and more. The committee includes multiple members who previously worked in the fossil fuel industry, ensuring a balanced and comprehensive perspective. The findings were reviewed by a group of experts that includes Tim Gallaudet, the acting NOAA administrator in Trump's first term.
The authors of the new NASEM report on climate change hazards were advised by expert committees composed of scientists, engineers, and policy specialists in relevant fields. More than 200 individuals and organizations responded to a public request for information from the National Academies, providing the authors with over 600 peer-reviewed articles to inform their research.
The report highlights the links between climate change and wildfires, harmful algal blooms, agricultural changes, and human health outcomes. It notes that climate science has advanced since 2009, and many uncertainties about the impacts of global warming have become more clear.
Many of the report's conclusions are at odds with the DOE report, which has been widely criticized by scientists for presenting false or misleading information. The DOE report, compiled by five climate change contrarians handpicked by Energy Secretary Chris Wright, has come under scrutiny for using cherry-picked data and misleading claims.
The NASEM report presents five lines of evidence to support its findings. It concludes that the harms caused by greenhouse gases to human health, welfare, energy systems, infrastructure, and agriculture are beyond scientific dispute. The report stands as a rebuttal to efforts by the Trump administration to rollback the 2009 endangerment finding.
The National Academies, created under a congressional charter signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, are independent, nonpartisan institutions that provide objective analysis of public policy decisions. Their latest report underscores the urgent need for action to address climate change and its potential impacts on our health, economy, and environment.
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