· 2 min read
illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The Washington Post or enjoy below:
🗞️ Driving the news: The Trump administration has dismissed the authors of the National Climate Assessment (NCA), a congressionally mandated scientific report on climate impacts in the U.S., casting doubt on the future of the next scheduled edition
• The NCA team received an email stating their roles were being terminated and that the report’s scope was under review
• Climate experts warn the move could delay, weaken, or halt the next assessment due by 2028
🔭 The context: The NCA has been published every four to five years since 2000 under the 1990 Global Change Research Act, offering authoritative, region-specific climate projections used by policymakers, businesses, and emergency services
• The Trump administration had already cut funding to the U.S. Global Change Research Program and terminated key staff contracts, making report production increasingly difficult
• A similar pattern occurred during Trump’s first term, when the 2018 NCA was quietly released on a holiday weekend
🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The NCA provides critical, science-based information that informs national climate adaptation and mitigation planning
• Undermining or delaying it hampers the ability of federal agencies, local governments, and private actors to respond effectively to climate risks
• In a time of escalating climate extremes, reliable assessments are vital for evidence-based decision-making and public accountability
⏭️ What's next: With no clear replacement team and diminished institutional capacity, the next NCA could be indefinitely stalled or replaced by a less credible version lacking peer review
• This raises concerns over potential misuse of alternative reports to justify deregulation
• Congress may need to intervene to enforce the NCA’s mandate or restore funding
• Stakeholders across science, civil society, and industry are expected to voice concern in the coming weeks
💬 One quote: “Not having the NCA is like driving a car with a dirty windshield… it is hard to detect risks until they unfold as disasters,” — Chris Field, environmental studies professor at Stanford University
📈 One stat: The U.S. Global Change Research Program, which coordinates the NCA, had its staffing capacity cut nearly entirely following recent contract terminations
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