Earlier this week, a draft Federal Government report confirming the reality of the climate crisis was released to the New York Times, and today the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that last year was Earth's warmest on record. These reports confirm everything we’ve worried about: temperatures are rising faster than we thought and the main cause is human reliance on burning fossil fuels. Most importantly, the effects of this rapid change, like extreme weather and sea-level rise, are hurting our communities and families right now. In fact just this month entire communities are being forced to relocate in Alaska, wildfires rage in CA and historic floods have hit New Orleans all fueled by the climate crisis. We don’t need to read these report to know about these impacts, we are living with them everyday -- this is not a hoax! That is why the vast majority of Americans want action to tackle this climate crisis, including transitioning to clean, renewable energy that doesn’t hurt our climate.
So, what’s different about this report? Well, this time the fox is guarding the hen house and climate deniers are sitting in the White House and in the federal government agencies that must now approve this draft report. This report, the Global Change Research Program’s Climate Science Special Report (CSSR), is one of the reports that feeds into the National Climate Assessment (NCA4), a large compilations of the latest climate science mandated by Congress back in 1990 in the Global Change Research Act. This Act requires 13 government agencies and our top scientists and science organizations such as the National Academy of Sciences and NASA to send this report to Congress and the White House every four years.
Congress expects the NCA to be delivered on time and without interference as Senator Markey wrote in a letter sent to the to the President urging him not to interfere with this report, in it he writes, “It is critical that we understand the impacts of climate change that are already occurring in the United States and around the globe as well as those that we will experience in the future. We must ensure that our federal agencies do not stifle the science of climate change or the scientists who are working on it. I urge you to ensure that there is no interference or suppression of science as your administration finalizes this Congressionally-mandated report on climate change.”
What’s next? This latest CSSR report and its findings have already been approved by the National Academy of Sciences, but, before it becomes official, it still has to be approved by departments headed by noted climate science deniers and fossil fuel hacks like Scott Pruitt at the EPA, Rick Perry and the Department of Energy, and Ryan Zinke at the Department of Interior. In fact, the findings of this report directly undermine Donald Trump’s own denial of the climate crisis and his efforts to attack climate action, like gutting the Clean Power Plan, pushing for more dirty coal fired power plants, and attempting to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement. So, the scientists concerned about the heavy editing -- or even suppression -- of climate science by these extremists took their case to the public directly and sent the report to the New York Times.
Now comes a moment of truth: will the Trump Administration try to suppress widely accepted science to cover for its pro-corporate polluter agenda? Time will tell - and our goal is to be as loud as possible to make sure climate science drives policy, not gets swept into the dustbin of history.
Trump and his cronies cannot hide from the truth. No matter how many coal and oil lobbyists descend on this report to try and scrub reality away, they will never be able to alter science with politics and rhetoric. That’s why it is more important than ever to keep up the fight against the Trump Administration’s relentless attacks on the health of the public and the planet. You can be a part of this, here and now.
Science clearly contradicts Trump’s pro-polluter agenda, and demands that we act on climate. But Trump can only do so much without Congress -- now it’s time to find out where your representative stands.
That’s because while this report is making headlines, Congress is considering MASSIVE budget cuts that would gut support for climate research, clean energy technologies, and clean air safeguards. We’ve got to put a stop to that. Here’s what you can do while members of Congress are back in their districts.
Head to your nearest town hall or ask your Senator or Representative if they stand with Trump in burying their heads in the sand or with science. Ask them to urge release of this report and to back full funding for climate and clean energy programs and research in the appropriations process. For more on attending town halls, check here for guidance and tips. For more on Trump’s proposed budget cuts, click here.
Contact your member of Congress and let them know that the public and the science are on the side of fully funding the EPA, the Department of Energy, and the Department of the Interior’s key climate change programs. Click here to use our action tools.
Use social media to spread the word about these cuts and the reality of the science and the popular opinion that stands directly opposed to them.
We can’t let up the fight against the Trump Administration’s ignorance and dangerous policies. Thank you for getting involved!