The Trump administration has quietly brought on three scientists who have long dismissed mainstream climate science, raising fears that federal climate policy may take a dangerous detour.
Three well-known climate skeptics — Steven Koonin, John Christy, and Roy Spencer — have been hired at the U.S. Department of Energy after the Trump administration removed hundreds of government scientists.
These hires could play a role in dismantling the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 2009 endangerment finding, which underpins federal authority to regulate greenhouse gases.
Critics warn the move could sideline proven science in favor of fringe views, even as climate disasters — from heat domes to deadly floods — intensify.
Key quote:
“What this says is that the administration has no respect for the actual science, which overwhelmingly points in the direction of a growing crisis as we continue to warm the planet through fossil-fuel burning, the consequences of which we’ve seen play out in recent weeks in the form of deadly heat domes and floods here in the U.S.,”
— Michael Mann, climate scientist at the University of Pennsylvania
Why this matters:
The Energy Department's enlistment of scientists who downplay human-driven climate change threatens to stall or reverse public health protections tied to emissions and air quality. As the U.S. contends with extreme heat, floods, and climate-linked illness, decisions rooted in denial could carry deadly consequences.
More than 100 people are dead and dozens remain missing after flash floods hit Texas Hill Country, raising alarm over deep staffing cuts and disbandment plans at federal emergency and weather agencies under President Trump.
Flash floods swept through Camp Mystic and nearby areas during the 4th of July holiday weekend, killing over 100 people in a region increasingly vulnerable to extreme weather from climate change.
The Trump administration has gutted the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Weather Service (NWS), with more than 600 NWS staff laid off and critical local forecasting offices now operating without 24/7 coverage.
Trump’s 2026 budget slashes funding for weather forecasting, emergency preparedness, and scientific research, threatening the federal capacity to warn and protect communities as climate-driven disasters grow more frequent.
Key quote:
“This is what happens when you let climate change run unabated and break apart the emergency management system – without investing in that system at the local and state level.”
— Samantha Montano, professor of emergency management at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy
Why this matters:
When emergency systems fail, disasters like the Texas floods become deadlier. Climate change is intensifying rainstorms, hurricanes, and heatwaves, but the U.S. government's ability to predict, warn, and respond is shrinking. FEMA and the National Weather Service are cornerstones of public safety in the face of natural disasters. Their weakening means slower evacuations, poor risk communication, and rising death tolls, especially in flood-prone rural areas without modern gauge systems. Weather forecasting depends heavily on staff expertise, interagency coordination, and scientific research — all of which are being cut.
Sen. Chuck Schumer is calling for a federal investigation into whether staff vacancies at National Weather Service offices in Texas worsened the outcome of the July 4 flash floods that killed scores of people.
Schumer sent a letter to the Commerce Department’s inspector general asking for an investigation into whether staffing gaps at National Weather Service offices in San Antonio and San Angelo contributed to delays or deficiencies in flood warnings during the deadly storm.
Critical positions — including a warning coordination meteorologist, a science officer, and a senior hydrologist — were vacant at the time, raising concerns about the agency’s ability to coordinate with local emergency responders.
Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas echoed concerns, noting that limited personnel may have hampered timely flood forecasting and public safety communication.
Key quote:
“When you have flash flooding, there’s a risk that you won’t have the personnel to make that — do that analysis, do the predictions in the best way.”
— Joaquin Castro (D-Texas)
Why this matters:
The National Weather Service is the backbone of the nation's severe weather alert system, especially during fast-moving disasters like flash floods. When its local offices are understaffed, critical decisions — like when to issue warnings or urge evacuations — can be delayed or missed entirely. The July 4 floods in Texas struck with little notice, sweeping through homes and even a children’s summer camp. As extreme weather events grow more frequent and intense, gaps in forecasting capacity can turn risky situations into deadly ones.
Parts of New Orleans are sinking up to two inches per year, with key flood protections including levees and wetlands losing elevation quickly, raising concerns about the city's ability to withstand future storms.
A new satellite-based study found rapid subsidence in areas of New Orleans, including the airport, wetlands, and parts of the levee system, with some spots sinking nearly two inches annually.
Sinking infrastructure compromises the city’s storm surge defenses, especially as sea levels in the Gulf of Mexico rise faster than anywhere else in the U.S.
The study provides detailed elevation maps to help prioritize levee maintenance, now overseen by Louisiana with support from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Key quote:
“If the wetlands are subsiding this much, they are slowly dying.”
— Simone Fiaschi, remote sensing expert and study lead author
Why this matters:
New Orleans sits below sea level, ringed by levees and flood walls built after Hurricane Katrina to keep storm surge and rising waters at bay. But new research shows that vital flood protections are sinking faster than expected. This poses a major threat as sea levels rise and hurricanes intensify. Subsiding wetlands also disappear as protective buffers, leaving the city more exposed to water from both the Mississippi River and the Gulf. The loss of wetlands damages ecosystems, fisheries, and biodiversity. Knowing which parts of the city are sinking fastest is vital for directing limited repair resources and defending one of the United States' most flood-prone cities from future catastrophe.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under President Trump has canceled more than $2.7 billion in climate and environmental justice grants, derailing projects in flood-prone and pollution-burdened communities across the country.
The EPA canceled over 600 climate-related grants since Trump returned to office, including a $20 million erosion control project in the Alaskan village of Kipnuk and $500,000 for air quality monitoring in Texas.
Environmental justice initiatives bore the brunt of the cuts, with over $2.4 billion slashed, disproportionately affecting low-income and Indigenous communities.
A coalition of nonprofits and local governments has sued the EPA, alleging the cancellations were illegal and politically motivated.
Key quote:
“Canceling environmental justice programs is not cutting waste; it is failing to serve the American people.”
— declaration of dissent by more than 200 current and former EPA employees
Why this matters:
When the federal government cancels grants aimed at reducing pollution, shoring up infrastructure, or monitoring air quality, families in places like coastal Alaska and industrial Texas lose critical protection against rising seas, toxic emissions, and extreme weather. These cuts hit hardest where the need is greatest — among people with the fewest resources to prepare or recover.
Denmark launched its European Union presidency with a push to keep climate policy on the agenda, arguing that energy independence is critical to Europe’s security and competitiveness.
Denmark began its six-month EU Council presidency in July, emphasizing green policy as a means to bolster European defense and reduce reliance on fossil fuel imports.
Shifting global pressures — including war in Ukraine, U.S. tariffs, and rising industrial concerns — have pushed many EU nations to deprioritize climate goals in favor of economic and military concerns.
The European Commission's new emissions target of a 90% cut by 2040 faces strong opposition from some EU countries, while critics also warn that loopholes in carbon credit rules undermine climate progress.
Key quote:
"Climate change is about defense. Europe’s strategic autonomy is threatened, and it’s threatened partly because we are so extremely dependent on the import of fossil fuels."
— Lars Aagaard, Denmark’s climate and energy minister
Why this matters:
Europe’s ambitious climate agenda is now colliding with geopolitical and economic realities. As the EU races to rearm and secure energy supplies, the continent risks drifting from its green commitments. Military expansion, while aimed at protecting democratic institutions, can come with hidden environmental costs — from emissions to raw material extraction. At the same time, extreme weather across southern Europe is escalating public concern over inaction.
Denmark’s effort to link climate resilience with defense underscores the growing recognition that energy policy and national security are intertwined. But with opposition mounting among EU states, the broader question is whether green priorities can survive the political push to deregulate in an increasingly unstable world.
Grist has launched a free, customizable guide to help communities prepare for and recover from extreme weather events, hoping to close a vital information gap during disasters.
The “Disaster 101” toolkit from Grist includes downloadable, plain-text guides that remain accessible during power or internet outages.
It offers tailored advice for hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and more, including specific sections for undocumented immigrants and people seeking mental health support.
The resources are designed to be localized, allowing newsrooms, governments, and organizations to add region-specific instructions and contacts.
Why this matters:
When a hurricane barrels toward town or wildfires creep too close for comfort, the first thing to go is often the internet — and with it, access to crucial, potentially life-saving information. That’s the void Grist’s new “Disaster 101” toolkit is trying to fill. It’s a nimble response to a glaring flaw in the way we prepare for and survive climate-fueled disasters: The information we need most in a crisis is often stuck behind a dead Wi-Fi signal or buried in bureaucratic jargon. As climate-driven disasters grow more frequent and severe, access to clear, local, and actionable information can save lives.
