NASA sign outside a building

Trump's climate stance alarms scientists as second term looms

Scientists at the American Geophysical Union conference fear threats to climate research under a second Trump presidency, including censorship, funding cuts agency upheavals.

Zack Colman and Chelsea Harvey report for POLITICO.


In short:

  • Researchers worry Trump’s return could mean dismantling or weakening federal climate programs.
  • Project 2025, a conservative blueprint, proposes deep budget cuts and reorganizations of agencies like NOAA and EPA.
  • Many anticipate censorship of climate-related terms, potential layoffs shifts in scientific priorities.

Key quote:

“There are definitely going to be some bad things happening for science policy, science workers, the scientific enterprise at large.”

— Caitlin Bergstrom, the American Geophysical Union’s program manager for science policy and government relations

Why this matters:

Federal climate research informs policies protecting public health and the environment. Disruptions could hinder our understanding of climate change and slow efforts to mitigate its impacts. A rollback in funding or suppression of data could leave communities unprepared for accelerating climate threats.

Read more: Young climate activists adapt to new strategies for Trump’s second term

Coal plant towers emitting pollution in the background with electricity towers silhouetted in the foreground at dusk.

Utah bill keeps one coal generator running, puts another on standby

Utah lawmakers approved a bill requiring the Intermountain Power Agency to keep one coal generator operational and another on standby as it transitions to a new natural gas project.

Alixel Cabrera reports for Utah News Dispatch.

Keep reading...Show less
Senator Whitehouse & climate change

Senator Whitehouse puts climate change on budget committee’s agenda

For more than a decade, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse gave daily warnings about the mounting threat of climate change. Now he has a powerful new perch.
Offshore wind farm under blue evening sky.

Blue states fight to keep clean energy projects alive under Trump

President Donald Trump has halted offshore wind leasing, frozen funding for renewable energy and created uncertainty around clean energy tax credits, leaving states scrambling to salvage their climate goals.

Alex Brown reports for Stateline.

Keep reading...Show less
Cars on a highway with white smoke emitting from smokestacks in the background.

Turkey surpasses Germany as Europe's biggest fossil fuel polluter

Turkey’s reliance on coal-fired power pushed its carbon emissions past Germany’s in 2024, reflecting a broader shift of Europe’s industrial pollution from its traditional hubs to regions with looser environmental regulations.

Gavin Maguire reports for Reuters.

Keep reading...Show less
A bison stands in a vast golden grassland.

They turned to traditional foods to fight back against diet-related health risks

The Siċaŋġu Nation in South Dakota is blending tradition and innovation to reclaim food sovereignty, improving community health and resilience along the way.

Grace Hussain reports for Sentient Media.

Keep reading...Show less
Old mining equipment in the desert with mountains in the background and a cloud-dotted blue sky.

U.S. lithium mine approval violated Indigenous rights, report finds

The U.S. government approved the Thacker Pass lithium mine in Nevada without full tribal consultation, violating international human rights law, according to a report from Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union.

Jeniffer Solis reports for Nevada Current.

Keep reading...Show less
Factory with smoke emitting from a smokestack with piles of snowy dirt in foreground.

Big polluters miss key UN deadline on climate plans

Most major emitters, including China and the European Union, failed to submit updated emissions reduction plans to the United Nations, raising concerns about the global effort to combat climate change.

Chico Harlan reports for The Washington Post.

Keep reading...Show less
The capitol building in Richmond, Virginia.

Virginia Democrats push to rejoin carbon market as Youngkin seeks disaster relief fund

Virginia Democrats are trying to restore the state’s membership in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), while Gov. Glenn Youngkin wants to use RGGI funds for permanent disaster relief instead of climate-related resilience and energy conservation programs.

Charles Paullin reports for Inside Climate News.

Keep reading...Show less
From our Newsroom
wildfire retardants being sprayed by plane

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.

People  sitting in an outdoors table working on a big sign.

Op-ed: Why funding for the environmental justice movement must be anti-racist

We must prioritize minority-serving institutions, BIPOC-led organizations and researchers to lead environmental justice efforts.

joe biden

Biden finalizes long-awaited hydrogen tax credits ahead of Trump presidency

Responses to the new rules have been mixed, and environmental advocates worry that Trump could undermine them.

Op-ed: Toxic prisons teach us that environmental justice needs abolition

Op-ed: Toxic prisons teach us that environmental justice needs abolition

Prisons, jails and detention centers are placed in locations where environmental hazards such as toxic landfills, floods and extreme heat are the norm.

Agents of Change in Environmental Justice logo

LISTEN: Reflections on the first five years of the Agents of Change program

The leadership team talks about what they’ve learned — and what lies ahead.

Stay informed: sign up for The Daily Climate newsletter
Top news on climate impacts, solutions, politics, drivers. Delivered to your inbox week days.