Trump Administration Moves to Dismantle Major U.S. Climate Research Center
Plan to shut down the National Center for Atmospheric Research sparks backlash from scientists and raises concerns over America’s climate and weather research capacity.
The administration of President Donald Trump is moving to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), one of the United States’ leading institutions in climate and atmospheric science.
The move marks a new escalation in the administration’s confrontational stance on climate change and has drawn sharp criticism from the scientific community. According to USA Today, the administration has begun formal steps toward dissolving the center, which is headquartered in Boulder, Colorado.
Founded in 1960 with support from the National Science Foundation (NSF), NCAR is widely regarded as one of the world’s most important research hubs for atmospheric chemistry, climate modeling, and the study of long-term weather patterns.
Trump Administration Moves to Dismantle Leading U.S. Climate Research Center
For decades, the center has played a central role in developing climate prediction models relied upon by universities, research institutions, and governments around the globe. It has also been instrumental in training generations of scientists and researchers, as reported by Newsweek.
According to the report, the Trump administration views the center as a stronghold of what it describes as “climate alarmism,” arguing that some of its activities promote politically driven narratives about climate change. White House officials have stated that the administration intends to eliminate what it calls “green fraud activities,” while transferring functions it deems essential—such as weather modeling and supercomputing—to other agencies or locations that have not yet been disclosed.
Russ Vought, Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, said that the National Science Foundation would begin dismantling the center, confirming that a comprehensive review is currently underway to determine the fate of its programs and facilities. He added that NCAR’s Mesa Laboratory in Boulder would be among the first facilities to close, signaling that implementation of the plan would begin immediately.
NCAR Faces Closure as Trump Climate Policy Escalates
This decision comes as part of a broader climate policy pursued by the Trump administration, which has included significant budget cuts to U.S. agencies responsible for weather forecasting and oceanic research, as well as public skepticism toward the scientific consensus on climate change.
Scientists and policy experts warn that dismantling NCAR could severely weaken America’s research capabilities at a time when international scientific reports indicate that last year was the hottest on record, with accelerating impacts of global warming on weather systems, ecosystems, and the global economy.
