In a concerning development, websites that provided crucial U.S. national climate assessments have vanished, complicating efforts for state and local authorities, as well as the public, to access necessary information on regional climate impacts.
These authoritative reports, which are peer-reviewed and designed to guide critical decision-making, play a vital role in reducing costs and saving lives, scientists emphasize. Yet, as of Monday and Tuesday, websites hosting the assessments and the U.S. Global Change Research Program were inaccessible, with no alternative links or guidance provided. The White House indicated that this information would be stored within NASA in compliance with legislative requirements but offered no additional information. Attempts to locate these assessments through NASA’s platforms proved unsuccessful, and NASA did not respond to information requests. Similarly, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which compiles these findings, failed to answer repeated inquiries.
Climate scientist Kathy Jacobs from the University of Arizona, who oversaw the 2014 assessment, remarked on the critical importance for officials nationwide to access the science detailed in the National Climate Assessment, which stands as the most comprehensive and reliable U.S.-specific climate information source. “If the National Climate Assessment is truly inaccessible, it is a significant loss for the United States, suggesting intentional obstruction of facts and public access, potentially heightening the risk of harm from climate-related events,” Jacobs stated.
John Holdren, Harvard climate expert and former science advisor under President Obama, shared that after the release of the 2014 edition, numerous regional leaders had highlighted the report’s value. The in-depth 841-page document played a crucial role in crucial infrastructure decisions, from road elevation to the relocation of hospital generators for enhanced disaster readiness.
According to Texas Tech’s Katharine Hayhoe, who has been a volunteer contributor to several editions, this invaluable government-funded resource is crucial for cities, states, and federal agencies planning for climate change impacts. Archived copies remain in NOAA’s library, yet NASA’s open data science repository links to outdated pages.
The latest report from 2023 featured an interactive atlas with county-specific insights, detailing the various effects of climate change on security, health, and livelihoods, especially within vulnerable minority and Native American groups. The 1990 Global Change Research Act mandates the publication of a national climate assessment every four years, overseen by an interagency program. However, reports indicate that earlier this year, the Trump administration informed volunteer authors that their services were no longer required and dissolved its contract with the firm assisting with the website and report coordination.
In a further setback, NOAA’s primary climate.gov webpage was redirected to a different NOAA site, while social media and blog communications related to climate issues for the public at NOAA and NASA were curtailed or removed altogether. Holdren voiced dismay, describing the situation as a part of a disconcerting dismantling of scientific infrastructure.
Both Hayhoe and Jacobs highlighted the enhanced usefulness of these national assessments over the less detailed global reports from the United Nations, thanks to their localized specificity. Besides scientific peer reviews, these reports undergo rigorous scrutiny for accuracy by bodies like the National Academy of Sciences, government agencies, and are made available for public commentary. Jacobs expressed that withholding these reports constitutes scientific censorship.
Hayhoe likened the concealment of such vital information to navigating a winding road using only rear-view mirrors, emphasizing the critical need for foresight to navigate future challenges safely, and warned against the figurative blinding of the viewpoints needed to ensure national safety and preparedness for climate change impacts.