Trump's cuts: Climate research in crisis - what now?

Trump's cuts: Climate research in crisis - what now?

In the shadow of the political changes in the USA, climate research has suffered a severe setback. A year ago, Donald Trump was re-inaugurated as president, and since then his administration has made massive cuts to climate research. This development is causing great concern among many scientists, as important research facilities have now been closed and funding has been drastically reduced. The effects of these measures are being felt not only by the USA, but also by international research networks.

A key example of these savings is the closure of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Colorado, a facility that has been conducting research on important topics such as weather and climate models and air chemistry since the 1960s. srf.ch highlights that NCAR has extremely powerful supercomputers that are of great importance for many research projects worldwide. Their closure could significantly impact the quality of climate forecasts, as the institute provides vital data for the IPCC global climate report.

Consequences for science

The drastic cuts and closures are not only leading to an exodus of data and models, but also a decline in research activity in the USA. Researchers are finding it increasingly difficult to collaborate internationally, while a risk factor in the form of immigration authorities further complicates the situation. International scientists are reluctant to travel to the United States, and U.S. scientists face bureaucratic hurdles that make traveling abroad difficult.

Jule Könneke from the Science and Politics Foundation emphasizes that climate research is seen as a source of legitimacy for climate policy. Apparently it's not just about scientific findings, but also about the political use of this data. Bjorn Stevens is critical of the USA's withdrawal from international bodies and the associated risk of dwindling community cooperation in the field of climate research. The uncertainty and ambiguity surrounding permits and contracts further undermine the foundation for future research projects. tagesschau.de also reports that the data gaps are now leading to less reliable climate scenarios.

International reactions and impacts

To counteract the impending lack of climate data, European institutes such as the Alfred Wegener Institute are already storing historical climate data from the USA on their platforms. New funds are being made available by the German Research Foundation for projects to ensure the continued existence of important data. In an interview with tagesschau.de, Stevens emphasizes the relevance of securing climate data as an essential world heritage for humanity.

The financial impact of the Trump administration on science is currently under great pressure, and uncertainty about the future is palpable. Will private funding be able to adequately replace publicly funded research, or is science facing a major upheaval? Given this situation, many researchers are concerned that an entire generation of scientists could be lost if the trend continues and fewer young people want to give research a chance.