"In February, the administration of US President Donald Trump barred scientists who work at federal agencies from attending the latest plenary session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in Hangzhou, China. The move ended US participation in what the White House described as "international agreements and initiatives that do not reflect our country's values". It marked a sharp break from decades of US leadership in the IPCC, where US scientists and diplomats have helped steer negotiations, shape reports"
"Although some non-federal US scientists remain involved in the IPCC, funding for their participation is uncertain. At the same time, the US government is drastically cutting budgets and staff across the federal agencies that track and interpret climate data. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), responsible for more than 50% of global ocean monitoring, faces significant cuts of about 25% of its current budget which poses a threat to climate modelling and weather prediction."
"And further cuts are expected, including plans to shut down ten NOAA laboratories that study how climate change is altering weather patterns, for example, including a Miami-based team of 'hurricane hunters' that operates a specialized fleet of aircraft that fly directly into and around storms to gather lifesaving data that can more accurately warn communities when they need to move out of harm's way."
US federal scientists were barred from attending an IPCC plenary, ending long-standing US leadership and diplomatic roles in shaping climate reports. Non-federal US scientists remain involved but face uncertain funding for participation. Federal agencies that track and interpret climate data are undergoing deep budget and staff cuts. NOAA, responsible for over half of global ocean monitoring, faces roughly 25% cuts that threaten climate modelling and weather prediction. More than 100 NSF climate grants have been cancelled. The US Global Change Research Program lost funding and its website was shut down. Planned closures include NOAA laboratories and a Miami 'hurricane hunters' team, undermining emergency data and warnings.
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