Scoop: NOAA monthly media calls on climate change suspended
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Monthly press calls featuring NOAA scientists detailing global climate conditions during the previous month have been suspended indefinitely, the agency told Axios.
Why it matters: While the data is still being provided publicly, a reduction in press coverage could reduce public awareness of climate change trends and NOAA research.
- NOAA is the top weather and climate agency in the U.S. and among the foremost worldwide.
Zoom in: The monthly U.S. and global climate calls typically feature climate scientists from NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) in Asheville, N.C.
- They have been held each month for years, including during the first Trump administration and George W. Bush administration, both of which sought to edit climate science reports.
- On these calls, reporters are typically briefed on the previous month's U.S. and global average temperatures, and trends during the year-to-date.
- According to two sources outside the agency who were privy to deliberations from current employees, NCEI had trouble recruiting scientists to volunteer to be on the calls for fear of angering the administration by discussing human-caused global warming.
One of the global climate reports came out Wednesday, and the reports themselves are still planned.
What they're saying: NOAA blamed the call suspension on a lack of staffing in the wake of cuts and in preparation for further layoffs.
- "Due to the loss of a significant number of staff resulting from the recent release of probationary employees, the Deferred Resignation Program and employees retiring, NCEI will no longer be able to support the monthly NOAA Communications media briefing on the U.S. and global temperature and precipitation analyses and associated products," an agency spokesperson stated via email.
- The briefings will be discontinued starting in April. an agency spokesperson said.
- The March climate call is typically replaced by a spring outlook call, which is also the case this year, making last month's climate call the last one for the foreseeable future.
Yes, but: "NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information will continue to publish articles each month with data and analyses of U.S. and global temperatures and precipitation, according to its previously published schedule," the agency said in a statement.
Zoom out: This move comes soon after NOAA cut about 800 staff members in the run-up to what is expected to be a deeper round of layoffs of just over 1,000 people, possibly as soon as this week.
