Threats to Climate-Related US Agencies

Elon Musk's recent social media activity has raised concerns among U.S. government employees involved in climate-related work. Following President-elect Donald Trump's announcement of potential cuts to federal agencies, Musk publicly named several individuals in obscure climate positions, leading to harassment and fears for job security. The targeted employees work in agencies like the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation and the Department of Energy, which focus on climate mitigation and clean energy deployment. This situation echoes past fears during Trump's first term, where climate data was at risk of being altered or deleted. The Azimuth Climate Data Backup Project, initiated in 2016, successfully archived 30 terabytes of climate data to protect it from potential government censorship. As Trump prepares for another term, scientists are concerned that federal climate datasets may face greater threats than before, especially with the influence of conservative policy plans like Project 2025, which advocates for significant changes to federal science agencies. The project suggests dismantling NOAA and eradicating references to climate change from government communications. While the first Trump administration left many datasets intact, the current climate of fear and uncertainty has prompted renewed efforts to safeguard climate data.

- Elon Musk's social media posts have targeted climate-related government employees, causing harassment and job security fears.

- The Azimuth Climate Data Backup Project previously archived significant climate data to protect it from government censorship.

- Concerns are rising about the potential rollback of climate policies under a second Trump administration.

- Project 2025 outlines plans to dismantle key federal science agencies and erase climate change references.

- Scientists are preparing to safeguard federal climate datasets in anticipation of increased threats.