Coast Guard Academy removes climate change from curriculum
The U.S. Coast Guard Academy has eliminated "climate change" from its curriculum to comply with a Trump administration directive, despite the service's role in responding to climate-related disasters.
Marianne Lavelle reports for Inside Climate News.
In short:
- The academy removed climate change terminology after a directive from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, following President Trump's executive order rolling back climate policies.
- Critics, including former Coast Guard Commandant Paul Zukunft, warn that cadets need climate knowledge to navigate rising sea levels, stronger storms, and Arctic operations.
- The move follows broader efforts to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion programs at the academy, with concerns that scientific education will be weakened.
Key quote:
"If we’re not smart about the environment that we operate in, we’re going to be a much less capable Coast Guard."
— Paul Zukunft, former Coast Guard Commandant
Why this matters:
The U.S. Coast Guard has long been on the front lines of climate-related disasters, from rescuing flood victims in the wake of hurricanes to navigating melting Arctic ice. As climate change accelerates, the service’s role in disaster response and maritime security is only growing more urgent and complex. But recent discussions about stripping climate science from cadet education raise questions about how prepared future officers will be for these challenges.
Decisions made today will shape the Coast Guard’s preparedness for decades to come. If climate science is sidelined, future officers could enter the field without the knowledge needed to anticipate, respond to, and mitigate climate-driven crises. In a world where disaster response is becoming more urgent, the implications of such a shift could be far-reaching.
