ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿Urges Support for Climate Science
The ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿ is dismayed by the reported plans to dismantle the research arms of environmental agencies, halt the production of the U.S. government’s flagship climate science report and eliminate farmers’ access to climate information and climate adaptation grants.“Severe cuts and federal funding freezes have already significantly impacted the U.S. research enterprise,” said Stefano Bertuzzi, ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿CEO. “Eliminating the research offices and staff of several federal scientific agencies and limiting access to climate science will have an immediate and lasting effect on our ability to make evidence-based decisions. ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿urges the administration to support research that expands our understanding of climate change to advance microbial solutions.”
It was reported that the Trump Administration plans to eliminate the Office of Atmospheric Research at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which would hamper research to improve weather forecasts, natural disaster warnings and our understanding of earth systems. The Office of Research and Development at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which provides scientific research and analysis to inform EPA regulations that protect clean air and water, may also be facing elimination. NASA budget documents show proposed steep cuts to the agency’s Science Directorate, with a 50% cut to the Earth science division.
Major staff cuts at the U.S. Global Chance Research Program, which produces the Congressionally mandated National Climate Assessment, impedes access to the latest cross-sector climate science that informs state and local government decisions and business planning. Additionally, it was reported that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) froze agricultural grants aimed at helping farmers adjust their operations to the impact of climate change.
“Collectively, these plans attack scientific expertise and evidence-based decision making within federal agencies,” said Theresa Koehler, ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿President. “These decisions will ultimately disrupt commerce and harm public health, agricultural production and food safety.”
ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿and the recently released Microbial Solutions for Climate Change, a report that outlines innovative microbial technologies that can significantly contribute to climate change mitigation. ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿also released key policy recommendations to support research on microbes and their power to address climate change. Understanding the world of microbes can help us harness their power for a sustainable global food supply, decarbonization, energy security and the growing bioeconomy, but that knowledge must be put into action through policy solutions.
