The Trump administration announced plans to dissolve the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado, a major federal climate science research agency.
Ross Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, cited NCAR as a prominent source of “climate alarmism” and said vital weather research would be relocated elsewhere.
The big picture: This move is part of wider efforts by the administration to scale back climate-related research and regulations within federal agencies.
- Among the proposed budget changes are a $1.33 billion (28%) cut to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and a 75% reduction to its core climate science office.
Flashback: Earlier in the year, contributors to the National Climate Assessment – a vital study guiding government climate preparedness – were dismissed.
State of play: Colorado Governor Jared Polis criticized the decision, warning that eliminating NCAR could weaken the U.S.’s scientific edge over foreign adversaries.
- NCAR produces research and tools essential to forecasting severe weather events and informing climate models widely used by scientists and policymakers.
