Environmentalists are Taking Action to Protect Climate Research
The Trump Administration is trying to demolish many pillars of climate science. As research programs are dismantled, it will be increasingly difficult to track greenhouse-gas emissions and to study the impacts of climate change.
The rollbacks are occurring across many federal agencies. Some examples:
· plans to eliminate NOAA’s office on climate research
· possible closure of NOAA’s Mauna Loa Observatory, which monitors carbon-dioxide levels
· proposed cuts to NASA spacecraft that track climate change
· firing scientists who worked on the National Climate Assessment, a comprehensive report on climate change
· removing the website that published the National Climate Assessment
· slashing grant funding from the National Science Foundation for climate research
· removing environmental data from federal government websites
· limiting the nation’s role in global science research
In response, groups outside the federal government are trying to fill the void. These efforts include publishing climate research, archiving key data, and supporting international forums.
Nevertheless, there are limits to what can be done without federal support. With that in mind, the scientific community is urging Congress to protect these environmental programs.
Publishing Research
To help counter the attacks on science, two groups will publish a special collection of papers on climate change. The project is a collaboration between the American Meteorological Society and the American Geophysical Union.
The goal is to provide scientists – especially those who had been working on the National Climate Assessment– with an outlet for their work.
The project is expected to be launched in the fall, according to Walter Robinson, publications commissioner of the meteorological society.
The collection isn’t intended to replace the National Climate Assessment. However, if another climate assessment is planned in the future, the papers could be a valuable resource for that work.
Saving Data
Some researchers have been saving crucial information – in case it vanishes from the Internet.
One of them is Kevin Gurney, an atmospheric scientist and professor at Northern Arizona University. Gurney has been archiving NOAA data at the school. The goal is to create a “safe harbor” for information that’s under threat of removal, he said.
Public Environmental Data Partners is also working to save federal data. The coalition – which includes climate groups and university researchers – is developing a wide-ranging archive.
Another group is the Environmental Data and Governance Initiative. It monitors the websites of federal agencies, tracking changes on federal environmental issues.
Global Collaboration
The Trump Administration has restricted U.S. participation in the IPCC, an international forum for analyzing climate science. Nevertheless, some scientists from the U.S. are still involved in these activities.
For instance, Gurney attended two IPCC meetings earlier this year – one in Japan, and another in Kenya. He has contributed to IPCC research for decades.
Now, Gurney is uncertain whether he’ll be able to attend future meetings. One issue is travel funding. The American Geophysical Union has provided funding assistance for the U.S. delegation, but it’s unclear what will happen for the next meeting in January, he said.
Meanwhile, the federal government is withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris Agreement. Under the United Nations treaty, countries develop targets to limit greenhouse-gas emissions.
In response, Bloomberg Philanthropies is providing resources to ensure that the U.S. can meet those targets. To help with this project, the environmental coalition America is All In is conducting research on climate action by non-federal entities.
Federal Funding
While all of these initiatives are helpful, it’s crucial to have federal support.
“Foundations, private organizations, and state institutions are trying to do what they can,” said Michael Mann, director of the Penn Center for Science, Sustainability and the Media. “But it’s a drop in the bucket compared to federal science funding.”
The international scientific community will pick up some of the slack on basic climate research, according to Mann, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania.
When it comes to science focusing on U.S. impacts, though, he predicts that the cuts will be “devastating.”
Rachel Cleetus, a policy expert, agrees that the government has a vital role.
Over the decades, the federal government built up funding and expertise for environmental agencies. The services have been free and available to the general public. It would be very difficult for anyone else to fully replicate these services in the same way, she noted.
She also highlighted a key role of the federal government: sponsoring basic research. The private sector can then build on those research findings.
“The funding cuts have caused alarm around the world,” said Cleetus, a senior policy director at the Union of Concerned Scientists. “Scientists around the world rely on the data.”
For instance, NOAA has been a partner in many global scientific projects. One of these is the Famine Early Warning Systems Network, which can alert the world to developing famine conditions before they become life-threatening.
Although the Trump Administration contends that its policies will reduce energy costs, research has found that green energy is very cost-competitive.
Given the benefits of renewable energy, it’s critical for the federal government to adequately fund these programs, Cleetus said.
The situation at NOAA is a major concern. The agency has lost thousands of employees this year, and the president’s budget includes no money for the NOAA research division.
However, initial spending proposals from Congress would restore a lot of the agency’s funding.
The American people should urge Congress to protect these services, according to Cleetus. Taxpayers have invested in these programs for decades – so they belong to “all of us,” she said.