The US administration has dismissed authors working on the sixth National Climate Assessment (NCA6), raising concerns about the future of climate research in the country. This decision follows earlier actions, including defunding the US Global Change Research Program and firing staff at NOAA.
Experts warn that these measures are already impacting climate science, with a reduction in data from weather balloons over the US. The dismissal of NCA6 authors could also negatively affect international collaborations and shift the center of climate research away from the US.
In response, organizations like the American Geophysical Union and the American Meteorological Society are joining forces to support climate research. Meanwhile, European countries are exploring ways to attract scientists and fill the gaps left by the US, though financial support remains a key barrier to expanding research elsewhere.