Trump Administration Moves to Dismantle National Center for Atmospheric Research Amid Climate Research Pushback
The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado, a leading climate research institution for over fifty years, will be dismantled following an announcement by Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, on X. Vought described NCAR as a significant source of what he termed "climate alarmism." This closure is seen as part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to promote climate Lysenkoism and suppress climate science.
Trump's proposed budget had previously sought to end funding for most government laboratories conducting climate-related work. While Congress blocked most of these cuts, similar attempts are expected to recur through Project 2025. The administration's actions are closely linked to Trump's ties to the oil and gas industry, with campaign contributions amounting to approximately $75 million and promises made to expand fossil fuel exploration and production.
At the American Geophysical Union meeting in New Orleans, federally funded climate scientists faced job losses or reduced budgets, highlighting the administration's impact on scientific research. A July Department of Energy report on greenhouse gas impacts, designed to support the administration's agenda, was widely debunked by more than 85 climate scientists and criticized by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). The NAS assessment, released in September, reaffirmed that evidence for harm from human-caused greenhouse gases is beyond scientific dispute. Meanwhile, the Environmental Protection Agency is expected to update and possibly overturn the existing endangerment finding.
This article was authored by climate scientists and policy experts Michael Mann and Bob Ward.
