U.S. Global Change Research Program

Watchdog and Advocacy Coalition Report Warns of Systemic Attacks on Science

The Report Exposes Chronic Interference With Federal Science and Public Health and Safety Measures Under the Trump Administration and Makes Critical Recommendations to Congress A report released today by a coalition of prominent watchdog and advocacy groups – including Government Accountability Project – chronicles a litany of recent attacks on federal science and scientists by [...]

As the Trump Administration Tries to Tamp Down Climate Change, We are Rising Up to Meet the Challenge

By Anne Polansky and Michael Termini More than one full year into a Donald Trump presidency, we are taking stock of the new political landscape, already marked by turmoil and volatility. Never before in modern US history have we seen such instability and unreliability in basic governance at the federal level. Here in the nation’s [...]

U.S. Fails to Submit Reports on 1 January as Required Under U.N. Climate Treaty

The U.S. has failed to submit by 1 January a major report required under U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Most countries have submitted their reports, while there is no publicly available information on the status of the 7th U.S. Climate Action Report and 3rd Biennial Report. Under both Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, drafts were made available for public review and comment. And the last reports were submitted under President Obama before the January 1, 2014 deadline.

Scientific Integrity at Risk: Government Censorship of Climate Change Information

By Anne Polansky CSPW Sr. Climate Policy Analyst The Trump Administration’s overall approach to climate change is basically akin to shouting LA-LA-LA-LA-LA with your hands over your ears. Cabinet members and top officials across departments and agencies are refusing to admit that this existential threat even exists, and are behaving as though the problem is [...]

US Global Change Research Program Released Three Major Climate Reports Today

The U.S. Global Change Research Program released three major reports this afternoon: the final Climate Science Special Report (CCSR), the public review draft of the Fourth National Climate Assessment (NCA4) and the public review draft of the 2nd State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR-2).

Trump Administration Extends for 6 months the subcommittee overseeing U.S. Global Change Research Program

On October 20, 2017, the Trump Administration extended for 6 months (until April 21, 2018) the charter of the interagency Subcommittee on Global Change Research (SGCR). It was set to expire the next day on Saturday, October 21, 2017. The SGCR is responsible for overseeing the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP). The extension explicitly notes that the SGCR can be terminated in less than 6 months.

Charter Set to Expire for Interagency Subcommittee Overseeing Federal Climate Research

By Nicky Sundt CSPW Senior Fellow The charter of the subcommittee that oversees the US Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) is set to expire tomorrow, October 21, 2017. This speaks volumes about the Trump Administration’s attitudes toward science generally – and toward climate change science specifically. More ominously, it raises very serious questions about the [...]

As Whistleblower Joel Clement Calls on Interior Secretary Zinke to Resign, Even Stronger Steps for Government Accountability are Needed

By Anne Polansky CSPW Sr. Climate Policy Analyst Sec. Zinke posing at Rocky Mountain National Park. Photo Credit: Ryan David Brown, The New York Times “Secretary Zinke, you should resign effective immediately,” federal whistleblower Joel Clement wrote in a CNN opinion piece published yesterday evening. After seven years of public service, Clement left [...]

Whistleblower Joel Clement Lambasts Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and President Trump in Resignation Letter

By Anne Polansky CSPW Sr. Climate Policy Analyst Federal whistleblower Joel Clement charged both Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and President Donald Trump with “poor leadership, waste, and … failures on climate change” in a fiercely critical letter of resignation submitted yesterday, effective tomorrow. In the letter, Clement accused President Trump and top Department of Interior [...]

Award-Winning Department of Interior Official Joel Clement Resigns

[F]or … three compelling reasons – poor leadership, waste, and your failures on climate change,” a senior Department of Interior Official, Joel Clement, submitted his resignation on October 4 to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke. In his resignation letter, Clement said the administration is “shackled to special interests” and “unwilling to lead on climate change.” Just two weeks earlier, Clement had received the Joe A. Callaway Award for Civic Courage.