Federal climate education resource for teachers could face closure by the government
In a move that has raised concerns among educators, policymakers, and the public, the Trump administration has significantly disrupted one of the most comprehensive and accessible federal resources on climate change: Climate.gov.
The administration's actions include the mothballing of Climate.gov, as part of a broader effort to undermine climate science and education. This decision has led to the termination of the entire team working on the National Climate Assessment, the removal of all past reports and data from official government websites, and the halting of plans to republish these reports on NASA’s website as mandated by law.
The organization that produces Climate.gov's education resources, the Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network, expects its funds to run out in August. As a result, the site will no longer produce new content, and all 10 editorial contributors have lost their jobs since early May.
The change in Climate.gov's status has left many science teachers, such as Jeff Grant, struggling to find reliable resources to educate students about climate change. Grant previously relied on Climate.gov for creating lesson plans and informing fellow teachers.
The disappearance of climate information from Climate.gov could leave U.S. students behind, according to Bertha Vazquez, education director for the Center of Inquiry. Vazquez expresses her concerns that the site could be transformed into a platform for disinformation.
The administration's actions extend beyond Climate.gov, with the defunding of climate research at Princeton University under the Department of Commerce and the removal of the Environmental Protection Agency's environmental justice toolkit earlier this year.
These actions have been met with criticism, with experts characterizing them as a strategic suppression of scientific climate data to undermine climate policy and public understanding. The cuts have been described as one of the most severe losses of climate information in recent federal history.
Despite the challenges posed by the administration's actions, studies suggest that a greater understanding of climate change among young people can help reduce feelings of anxiety. According to a 2019 study, 77 percent of Americans regard it as very or somewhat important for elementary and secondary school students to learn about climate change. Similarly, a 2024 report found that approximately 3 in 4 registered voters say schools should teach children about global warming.
However, textbooks tend to downplay the effects of climate change, leaving educators like Grant struggling to find reliable resources to educate students about this critical issue. As the Trump administration continues to disrupt federal climate change information resources, it remains to be seen how educators will adapt and continue to provide accurate and comprehensive information about climate change to the next generation.
[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/06/climate/trump-climate-change-website.html [2] https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2017/12/05/trump-administration-removes-climate-change-from-white-house-website/ [3] https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/08/climate/trump-climate-change-science-censorship.html [4] https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2018/01/18/trump-administration-removes-climate-change-references-from-usgs-website/ [5] https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/16/climate/trump-climate-change-science-censorship.html
- The Trump administration's decision to mothball Climate.gov and terminate the National Climate Assessment team is part of a larger strategy that undermines climate science and education, causing concerns in education and innovation sectors.
- The disruption of reliable climate change resources, such as Climate.gov, forces educators like Jeff Grant to find alternative sources for lesson plans, leaving some students potentially lacking critical climate knowledge.
- The Administration's actions, including defunding climate research and removing resources from federal websites, have been criticized for strategically suppressing climate change data to impact climate policy and public understanding.
- Despite the challenges in finding comprehensive climate change resources, a majority of the public believes students should learn about climate change in schools. This includes 77 percent of Americans in the 2019 study and 75 percent of registered voters in the 2024 report.
