Climate change plays a role in disasters like the Fire Marshall in Colorado, which destroyed 1000 houses in December 2021
Jim West / Alamy
The Trump administration has rejected all nearly 400 researchers working on the next national American climate assessment, a decision likely to delay – if not prevent – the completion of this key report on the way in which climate change affects the country.
“The Trump administration constantly insane an ax of war in a crucial and complete report of the American climate sciences by rejecting its authors without reason or plan”, ” Rachel Cleetus At the union of scientists concerned, an author of the report, said in a statement.
This decision is the last blow to work on the 6th national climate assessment, a radical analysis intended to inform federal governments and states about the risks of climate change – and what the United States does about this. A 1990 law adopted by the US Congress requires that the government produce such an assessment every four years.
The next report is not due before 2027, but the work was already underway on the massive collection, which can often reach more than a thousand pages. The previous evaluation, published In 2023, described the composition of climatic impacts across the country which “makes it more difficult to maintain safe houses and healthy families; reliable public services; a sustainable economy; Prosperous ecosystems, cultures and traditions; and strong communities ”.
Earlier in April, the Trump administration canceled a contract for a consulting group that coordinated research on the next assessment, working within the framework of the world research program for American changes. It followed generalized shots In scientific agencies that contribute to the report, as well as other measures that administration has taken to limit climate and weather research.
But there was still hope that the authors of the report – most of whom are volunteers – could break something together, says Dustin Mulvaney At the State University of San José in California, who worked on a section of the US southwest report. “Many of us were like,” ok, we can always do that! “”
Now, with all the authors of the dissolved report, its completion seems impossible.
A spokesperson for NASA, who operates the World Change Research Program, refused to comment. But several reports have confirmed to New scientist That they have received a brief message from the program indicating that all the authors are published while the agency reviews the “scope” of the evaluation.
The message indicates that there could be “future opportunities” to contribute. After all, the evaluation is legally required by the congress, and the administration could still appoint new authors. When previous reports were focused on climate risks, the new assessment was going to focus more on how the United States reacts to climate change by reducing emissions and adapting infrastructure to make it more resilient.
But even if a report is ultimately published, it will be less reliable and rigorous, says THE At the University of California, Santa Cruz, who worked on the part of the report on the reduction of emissions. “Now they have completely defiled it.”
“I think everyone is really emptied about it,” she says.
