Earth is nearing critical thresholds with record heat. But scientific data on how warming will impact the people, environment and economy in the U.S. may become harder to access.
In the past few months, the Trump administration has dismantled many programs and resources related to climate change — and even purged the phrase “climate crisis” from federal websites.
One recent target is the nation’s biggest climate report.
Late last month, the administration dismissed hundreds of volunteers working on the next National Climate Assessment, a report required by Congress every four years that shows how global warming is affecting regions across the U.S.
About 400 scientists, economists and tribal leaders had already begun work on the sixth assessment, which was scheduled to be released in late 2027 or early 2028.
The action fits into a larger pattern: Since taking office, the Trump administration has fired federal scientists, overrode environmental regulations on pollution and ended efforts to collect data on greenhouse gas emissions and billion-dollar disasters — and even recently proposed cutting funding to one of the nation’s oldest observatories for climate pollution in Hawaii.
Earth’s surface temperature has been 1.5° Celsius hotter than the pre-industrial average for nearly all of the past two years. This warming is mostly due to fossil fuel burning, deforestation and animal agriculture.
The National Climate Assessment has offered a status check on the environment, with concise messages and graphics informed by the latest scientific research.
Courtesy National Climate Assessment The Southeast will experience more extreme heat with continued global warming.
The fifth assessment was published in 2023. It included a chapter on the Southeast.
“It’s kind of, unfortunately, the perfect storm for a worst-case scenario for much of the Southeast,” said Janey Camp, a research professor and adaptation specialist at the University of Memphis who helped author the chapter. “There are all these compounding factors that’s putting people and the ecosystems at risk.”
WPLN News sat down with Camp for an interview to discuss findings from the report. Listen above.
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