The Trump administration, on its way out the door, is attempting to derail and politicize work on the Fifth National Climate Assessment, which is crafted by 13 federal agencies under the U.S. Global Change Research Program.
The NCA is the country’s most comprehensive science-based evaluation of the consequences of the climate crisis, the risks of inaction, and potential adaptation strategies.
“We cannot stand by and tolerate the suppression, censorship, and manipulation of climate science. Peer-reviewed, evidence-based science can and should support and inform policies, and it is vital that the NCA remain free from political interference or bias,” reads a letter signed by Virginia Democrat Don Beyer and 89 other House members who are imploring President Trump to cease and desist its continued efforts to undermine climate science in the waning days of his presidency.
The members noted that they are concerned about the recent removal of Dr. Michael Kuperberg from his detail as the executive director of USGCRP and subsequent reports that Dr. David Legates, a political appointee at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and a long-time climate change denier, may soon assume the role.
“By undermining the trust built into the process and placed in the leadership of the USGCRP, the Administration is destabilizing the NCA process and politicizing the NCA and its findings,” the members wrote. “We urge you to increase transparency and make sure that the NCA process is driven by high quality, evidence-based, peer-reviewed science. Our communities are on the frontlines of the climate crisis, facing raging wildfires and extreme weather events. We must preserve this robust process to make sure that they have the regional assessments they need to implement effective mitigation and adaptation efforts.”
The full text of the letter can be found here.
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