Scientists and Nonprofits Fight Back Against Trump's War on Climate Data, Rebuilding Critical Research Efforts.
President Donald Trump recently questioned the existence of global warming during a brutal winter storm in the US, despite overwhelming scientific evidence. However, his administration has been erasing climate change data from government websites and slashing funding for key research initiatives. The move has sent shockwaves through the scientific community, prompting a desperate but resilient effort by scientists and nonprofits to preserve vital information.
In the last year alone, the Trump administration has gutted climate science programs, including the dismantling of the National Center for Atmospheric Research and the removal of human-caused climate change from government websites. The move has left critical data sets, such as those collected by NOAA's Billion Dollar Climate and Weather Disaster dataset, in jeopardy.
Climate Central, a small nonprofit organization, has been at the forefront of this effort. "We don't have a ton of extra bandwidth to take on new projects or try to build things that have taken years to build for the federal government," said Kristina Dahl, vice president for science at Climate Central. However, the organization has successfully restored key projects, including the Billion Dollar Disaster dataset, by re-hiring laid-off scientists.
The Trump administration's actions are not only eroding trust in climate science but also threatening the country's ability to understand and mitigate the effects of climate change. Climate-related disasters have become increasingly common, with 2025 seeing one billion-dollar disaster event every 10 days on average. The past three years have been the hottest on record.
To address this crisis, scientists and nonprofits are working together to rebuild critical research efforts. This includes transferring sovereignty over climate research from the public sphere to the philanthropic sector, where organizations like Climate Central can focus on actionable projects rather than long-term maintenance. "We should strive to build a science infrastructure or a scientific foundation for this country that is responsive to the needs of the US population," said Janice Lachance, CEO of the American Geophysical Union.
The transfer of sovereignty has allowed these organizations to fine-grain climate disaster datasets and bring in guest speakers to discuss the latest research. However, they are also facing criticism from those who question the scientific consensus on climate change. Last summer, a group of 80 scientists responded with an independent fact-check that criticized a document arguing that climate change was not a catastrophe.
As the battle for climate science continues, scientists and nonprofits are imagining what independent research would look like after having carried an unprecedented burden. "We should strive to build a science infrastructure or a scientific foundation for this country that is responsive to the needs of the US population," said Lachance. "Not just in helping people conduct research, but also advocacy at the federal government level and maintaining a refuge where research cannot easily be deleted or overwritten."
President Donald Trump recently questioned the existence of global warming during a brutal winter storm in the US, despite overwhelming scientific evidence. However, his administration has been erasing climate change data from government websites and slashing funding for key research initiatives. The move has sent shockwaves through the scientific community, prompting a desperate but resilient effort by scientists and nonprofits to preserve vital information.
In the last year alone, the Trump administration has gutted climate science programs, including the dismantling of the National Center for Atmospheric Research and the removal of human-caused climate change from government websites. The move has left critical data sets, such as those collected by NOAA's Billion Dollar Climate and Weather Disaster dataset, in jeopardy.
Climate Central, a small nonprofit organization, has been at the forefront of this effort. "We don't have a ton of extra bandwidth to take on new projects or try to build things that have taken years to build for the federal government," said Kristina Dahl, vice president for science at Climate Central. However, the organization has successfully restored key projects, including the Billion Dollar Disaster dataset, by re-hiring laid-off scientists.
The Trump administration's actions are not only eroding trust in climate science but also threatening the country's ability to understand and mitigate the effects of climate change. Climate-related disasters have become increasingly common, with 2025 seeing one billion-dollar disaster event every 10 days on average. The past three years have been the hottest on record.
To address this crisis, scientists and nonprofits are working together to rebuild critical research efforts. This includes transferring sovereignty over climate research from the public sphere to the philanthropic sector, where organizations like Climate Central can focus on actionable projects rather than long-term maintenance. "We should strive to build a science infrastructure or a scientific foundation for this country that is responsive to the needs of the US population," said Janice Lachance, CEO of the American Geophysical Union.
The transfer of sovereignty has allowed these organizations to fine-grain climate disaster datasets and bring in guest speakers to discuss the latest research. However, they are also facing criticism from those who question the scientific consensus on climate change. Last summer, a group of 80 scientists responded with an independent fact-check that criticized a document arguing that climate change was not a catastrophe.
As the battle for climate science continues, scientists and nonprofits are imagining what independent research would look like after having carried an unprecedented burden. "We should strive to build a science infrastructure or a scientific foundation for this country that is responsive to the needs of the US population," said Lachance. "Not just in helping people conduct research, but also advocacy at the federal government level and maintaining a refuge where research cannot easily be deleted or overwritten."
. I mean, come on, we're talking about global warming here - it's not exactly rocket science 
. The fact that they're erasing climate change data from government websites and slashing funding for research is just plain weird. It's like they think the Earth isn't even a thing 
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gotta feel for these climate scientists 
... it's like they're trying to hold back a tsunami with a broken umbrella. Like, come on, guys, we get it, you don't believe in global warming 
... can't you just focus on the science part without politicizing it? And btw, 1 billion-dollar disaster events every 10 days is getting pretty wild 
... I guess that's what happens when the science is ignored. It's actually kinda inspiring to see these nonprofits and scientists banding together to rebuild critical research efforts 
. Maybe this is the wake-up call we need to get serious about climate change 
. Trump's been erasing it left and right, like he doesn't even believe in global warming anymore 
. But the thing is, science isn't just about one person's opinion - it's about all that evidence we've collected over years of research 
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. It's amazing to see how one nonprofit can make a difference when it comes to fighting for climate justice.
. It makes sense to me - we need organizations that are passionate about this issue, and willing to take on the big picture 
. Not what we want for science!
. They need to chill out and stop whining about Trump erasing their precious data sets. It's not like he's the first president to try and cut funding for some silly research initiative. And honestly, can we talk about how absurd it is that these nonprofits are trying to take over climate research from the government? Like, shouldn't they just focus on raising money instead of getting all up in science politics 
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. Just give it to the government or let them figure it out themselves, geez!
Okay, not exactly the same, but it's like they're trying to wipe our collective memory of global warming. The Trump admin is just... wow. I'm not even sure what to say about this. It's like they're erasing history or something.
It's a cryin' shame, man.
good on them... but still, we need government backing to make a real impact 
I mean, come on, global warming exists! 
. Trump's attacks on climate data are a huge deal, especially since we're already seeing devastating disasters all over the US 
. Scientists and nonprofits are doing everything they can to preserve data and keep research going, but it's a huge burden for them 
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I feel so frustrated with what's going on with climate change data. It's like they're trying to erase all the progress we've made. I mean, have you seen those billion-dollar disaster events every 10 days? 
anyway, gotta keep hoping that these efforts pay off and we can start making some real progress on this stuff 
I just know that it's supposed to affect us somehow? anyway so scientists are fighting back against trump erasing their data and whatnot but I don't get why they can't just find another way to collect info like how we use surveys on polls