Aug.12 – A group of leading climate scientists is launching a coordinated effort to challenge a new Trump administration report that questions the severity of climate change.
The report, released last week by the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency, was written by five researchers known for casting doubt on climate science. It arrived alongside proposals to roll back pollution rules.
Scientists say the administration is also removing official National Climate Assessments from federal websites, and Energy Secretary Chris Wright has confirmed they will be altered before being republished.
Andy Dessler, head of the Texas Center for Extreme Weather at Texas A&M University, is organizing a formal rebuttal. “We want to get solid science into the public record,” he said. “This report is not a valid representation of climate science.”
The National Academy of Sciences has announced its own fast-track review of climate research since 2009, with findings expected in September. Its president, Marcia McNutt, said the goal is to give policymakers the most up-to-date information on greenhouse gases and climate impacts.
Critics say the administration’s report was completed in just two months, with no peer review, and misrepresents existing research. Some scientists whose work was cited said their findings were taken out of context or used to downplay climate threats.
Kim Cobb of Brown University called the removal of National Climate Assessments and the release of the new report “a grim historical marker,” warning it could mislead the public.
Zeke Hausfather, a climate researcher whose work was cited, said worst-case warming scenarios are becoming less likely thanks to emissions cuts but a 3°C warmer world would still cause “huge climate damages.”
Secretary Wright defended the report’s authors, calling them “honest scientists” and saying debate is part of the scientific process. But Dessler said the issue is not debate, but the use of “bad science” to promote fossil fuels and weaken climate policy.
Impact:
If the administration’s view shapes U.S. policy, scientists warn it could slow climate action, weaken pollution controls, and leave communities more exposed to extreme weather, rising seas, and other threats.