Trump moves to shut down climate research lab, calls its work "alarmism"
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Mesa Laboratory at The National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder. Photo: John Greim/Loop Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
The Trump administration plans to close the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, calling its research "climate alarmism."
Why it matters: The Boulder lab is one of the world's leading institutions for Earth systems and climate research, playing a crucial role in weather forecasting and climate modeling, and its absence would significantly impact U.S. scientific capabilities.
- Climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe wrote in an X post Tuesday that closing NCAR would be "taking a sledgehammer to the keystone holding up our scientific understanding of the planet."
The latest: USA Today first reported Tuesday that Trump administration officials planned the closure of NCAR's Mesa Labratory, which employs 830 people.
- In a social media post Tuesday, Russ Vought, director of Office of Management and Budget, said the National Science Foundation would be "breaking up" NCAR.
- Vought said a review would move any vital services "to another entity or location."
- "This facility is one of the largest sources of climate alarmism in the country," Vought wrote.
Threat level: Antonio Busalacchi, president of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), which manages NCAR, released a statement saying he was aware of reports that the White House is proposing to break up the U.S. National Science Foundation National Center for Atmospheric Research, but had no further information.
- "NCAR's research is crucial for building American prosperity by protecting lives and property, supporting the economy, and strengthening national security," Busalacchi said, adding that its closure "would set back our nation's ability to predict, prepare for, and respond to severe weather and other natural disasters."
- Colorado Gov. Jared Polis also said in a statement Tuesday he had not received confirmation but that if plans to close were true, "public safety is at risk and science is being attacked."
Between the lines: Trump has recently taken aim at Polis, calling the governor a "weak and pathetic man" over the state's refusal to release former Mesa County clerk Tina Peters.
- The Trump administration also recently said it was canceling $109 million in transportation grants awarded to Colorado for projects with an environmental focus.
- U.S. Rep Joe Neguse, a Lafayette Democrat, called the NCAR closure a "dangerous and blatantly retaliatory action" in a social media post Tuesday.
What they're saying: Neguse and Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper issued a joint statement, calling the move "reckless" and adding they "intend to fight back."
- "The National Center for Atmospheric Research and its 830 employees are leading the nation's climate science research, delivering life-saving breakthroughs that provide early warnings for natural disasters and deepen our understanding of Earth's systems," the statement read.
Zoom in: Trump has been targeting federal labs in the Boulder area since the start of his second term, including proposing drastic cuts to NCAR, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Renewable Energy Laboratory and National Institute of Standards and Technology.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with new details throughout.