Breaking Down a Climate Research Giant: What's Next for NCAR?

The Trump administration has a plan to split up the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Colorado. This is a big deal because NCAR is one of the largest centers for studying climate and weather in the U.S.

Key Points

Russ Vought, who works at the White House, shared this news on X.
He said the National Science Foundation is behind this move.
Vought also mentioned that NCAR has been a big source of what he calls "climate alarmism."
He added that important work, like weather research, will be moved to other places.

Potential Impact

This decision could slow down climate research in the U.S. at a time when the United Nations and other world leaders say we need to act fast to stop the worst effects of global warming.

Reactions

From NCAR and Colorado

The group that runs NCAR, the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), said they know about the plan but don't have details.
They want to keep working with the administration to focus on keeping the country safe.
Colorado's governor, Jared Polis, said Colorado hasn't heard anything official about closing NCAR.
He added that even if it's true, it would be an attack on science.
He pointed out that NCAR does more than just climate research. It also helps with weather events like fires and floods, which saves lives and property.
He warned that closing NCAR could hurt the U.S. in the race for scientific discovery.

From the White House

A senior White House official criticized Colorado's governor, Jared Polis, who is a Democrat.
The official said that if Colorado had a governor who worked better with President Trump, things might be different.
They also called NCAR a "stronghold for left-wing climate lunacy" and said breaking it up would stop "Green New Scam" research.

Scientific Community's Response

Many people in the climate and weather community were shocked by the news.

Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at UCLA, said on X that closing NCAR would be a "terrible blow to American science."
He explained that NCAR's work goes beyond climate research. It also helps with weather predictions, early warnings, and making communities more resilient.
Katharine Hayhoe, an atmospheric scientist, compared closing NCAR to "taking a sledgehammer to the keystone holding up our scientific understanding of the planet."
She said nearly everyone who researches climate and weather has benefited from NCAR's resources.
Andy Hazelton, another scientist, called the move "extremely short-sighted."

Political Backlash

Some Democrats are fighting back.

Rep. Joe Neguse, whose district includes NCAR, called the plan "deeply dangerous & blatantly retaliatory."
He said NCAR is one of the most renowned scientific facilities in the world and promised to fight the decision.

NCAR's History and Impact

NCAR was started by the National Science Foundation in 1960.
It studies the Earth's atmosphere and how it interacts with oceans, land, and the sun.
NCAR's research has helped improve weather forecasts, air quality predictions, and models of wildfires, flooding, and drought.
In 1990, NCAR scientists contributed to the first report from the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
This report warned about the need to cut greenhouse gas emissions to limit global warming.
The IPCC won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007.