Climate Assessment Work Challenged by White House

The Trump Administration recently dismissed scientists working on the National Climate Assessment, the United State's primary report on climate change, a project facilitated by the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) and mandated by Congress. The dismissal of scientists working on the climate report suggests that climate science research will be harder to conduct and information about global warming may be less available to the public.

The sixth edition of the assessment was to be released in late 2027. Hundreds of volunteer authors, including Dr. Christine Kirchhoff who is the lead author of the Northeast Chapter, were already hard at work on the project.

The USGCRP helps coordinate how the federal government studies and responds to environmental changes like climate change. It brings together 15 government agencies to share research, tools, and resources that help people and communities better understand risks and make informed decisions for a more resilient future.

The future of USGCRP is in question; however, as a visit to the US Global Change Research Project website displays a banner reading, "The operations and structure of the USGCRP are currently under review."

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Read or listen to learn more about these abrupt changes to a valuable piece of climate research.