Two private nonprofits have announced their intention to team up to publish climate research to continue a congressionally mandated assessment that was rescinded by the Trump administration.
The American Geophysical Union and the American Meteorological Society said in a press release Friday that they are inviting submissions of manuscripts for a new special collection of 29 peer-reviewed studies covering all aspects of climate change in the United States.
“These efforts are aimed at maintaining the momentum of the sixth National Climate Assessment, whose authors and staff were fired this week by the Trump administration, nearly a year after the process began,” the societies noted.
“The NCA, mandated by Congress, uses cutting-edge science to assess the impacts of climate change on the United States. The new special collection does not replace the NCA, but rather creates a platform to continue this important work.”
Rachel Cleetus, one of about 400 scientists who contributed to the NCA's forthcoming report, confirmed they had been disbanded in a statement released by the Union of Concerned Scientists, a group that campaigns for strict scientific standards.
“Today, the Trump administration recklessly attacked an important and comprehensive U.S. climate science report by firing its authors without explanation or plan,” Cleetus said.
“The only people who benefit from the destruction or obliteration of this report are the fossil fuel industry and those who seek to increase their oil and gas profits at the expense of public health and the economic well-being of the country. Congress must take steps to ensure that the report it requires by law is prepared with scientific integrity and submitted on time.”
Cleetus also shared the text of an email sent to researchers by the Trump administration that said the “scope” of the report was “under review.”
While the NCA's official website states that the sixth version of the assessment is still due to be published by early 2028, a notice on the site also notes that the work of the US Global Change Research Program, which the NCA runs, is “under review.”
AMS President David J. Stensrud said the NCA represents a “comprehensive, rigorous integration and assessment” of the latest knowledge in climate science that is used by everyone from small businesses to numerous government departments and agencies.
“Our economy, health, and society all depend on climate,” Stensrud said. “While we cannot replace the NCA, we at AMS believe it is critical to support and expand this collaborative scientific effort for the benefit of the U.S. and global population.”
Sourse: www.upi.com
