White House Proposal Could Gut Climate Modeling the World Depends On

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In recent months, the Trump administration has made moves to eliminate climate change regulations, cut funding for climate programs, and halt evaluations of climate change impacts on American society and the economy. This includes undermining climate science directly, a move criticized by respected scientists for its potentially dangerous outcomes.

One of the proposed cuts targets a decades-long partnership between Princeton University and the U.S. government responsible for advanced climate modeling systems. The potential slashing of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s budget, which supports crucial weather and climate research, poses risks to various sectors of American life. The memo outlining the NOAA cuts highlights a significant reduction in funding for the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, a core of global climate science, data collection, and modeling.

The loss of the GFDL and its research expertise could have severe consequences, as it plays a crucial role in climate preparedness and disaster response. The potential impact of losing this vital forecasting tool extends to various industries and sectors, from insurance to agriculture, shipping, and infrastructure planning.

The GFDL’s models have been instrumental in improving forecasting accuracy and understanding climate change’s complex dynamics. The lab’s work, in collaboration with Princeton researchers, has been key in predicting extreme weather events like Hurricane Harvey. Its data is widely used by policymakers, regulators, industries, and scientists globally, contributing to economic activities worth trillions of dollars annually.

The potential dismantling of the GFDL and related climate programs raises concerns about the nation’s climate prediction capabilities, national security, and global influence. The Defense Department relies on NOAA’s climate modeling systems for operational planning and threat assessment, underlining the high stakes involved in cutting climate science funding and research.

The loss of NOAA’s climate models and data could lead to a significant decrease in the U.S.’s intelligence and operational capabilities, impacting security assessments and decision-making processes. The importance of maintaining NOAA’s core scientific functions and climate research has been emphasized by experts and policymakers, highlighting the broader implications of undermining climate science in the country.