Major Reports on Climate Change Impact in the US Removed from Federal Websites, Affecting Public Access

The disappearance of US national climate assessments from federal websites has raised concerns. These reports, crucial for understanding climate impacts, are no longer accessible online. This makes it difficult for local governments and the public to prepare for climate changes. Scientists emphasise the importance of these peer-reviewed reports, which save both money and lives.

Websites dedicated to the national assessments and the US Global Change Research Programme were inaccessible on Monday and Tuesday. The White House stated that NASA would host the information to comply with legal requirements, but details were scarce. Searches on NASA's sites yielded no results, and NASA did not respond to requests for clarification.

Climate Reports' Importance

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which coordinated the assessments, also remained silent despite repeated inquiries. Kathy Jacobs, a climate scientist at the University of Arizona who coordinated the 2014 report, stressed the importance of these assessments. She said they are the most reliable source of climate information in the US.

"It's a sad day for the United States if it is true that the National Climate Assessment is no longer available," Jacobs remarked. "This is evidence of serious tampering with the facts and with people's access to information, and it actually may increase the risk of people being harmed by climate-related impacts."

Impact on Local Decision-Making

John Holdren, a Harvard climate scientist and former science advisor to President Obama, highlighted how useful these reports have been. After the 2014 edition, he visited local officials who used the report to make critical infrastructure decisions like raising roads or relocating hospital generators.

"This is a government resource paid for by the taxpayer to provide the information that really is the primary source of information for any city, state or federal agency who's trying to prepare for the impacts of a changing climate," said Katharine Hayhoe, a Texas Tech climate scientist involved in multiple editions of the report.

Legal Mandates and Recent Changes

The Global Change Research Act of 1990 mandates a national climate assessment every four years. It also requires an interagency programme directed by the president. However, in spring, the Trump administration informed volunteer authors that their services were no longer needed and terminated a contract with a private firm managing the website and report coordination.

NOAA's main climate.gov site was redirected to another NOAA page. Additionally, social media content about climate impacts was reduced or eliminated at NOAA and NASA. "It's part of a horrifying big picture," Holdren commented. "It's just an appalling whole demolition of science infrastructure."

Localised Insights

The national assessments offer more detailed local insights than international reports from bodies like the United Nations. These reports undergo rigorous peer review by scientists and scrutiny by federal agencies and the public. Hiding them would equate to censoring science, Jacobs argued.

The latest report from 2023 featured an interactive atlas down to county levels. It highlighted how climate change affects security, health, and livelihoods across America, disproportionately impacting minority and Native American communities.

Hayhoe compared ignoring these reports to driving while only looking through a rear-view mirror: "And now, more than ever, we need to be looking ahead to do everything it takes to make it around that curve safely. It's like our windshields being painted over."

With inputs from PTI