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Breaking Down NCAR: Vought's Controversial Plan to Restructure Weather Research in the U.S.
Listeners, former Director of the Office of Management and Budget Russ Vought is back in the news this week for a decision that has set off a major fight over climate and weather research in the United States. According to USA Today, Vought announced on the social media platform X that the National Science Foundation will break up the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, and launch a comprehensive review of its operations. He said that only core missions like weather research would be moved to another entity, while what he called green new scam activities would be eliminated.
NCAR is a major federal funded research hub that underpins much of the nations ability to model hurricanes, severe storms, and long term climate trends. The Washington Post and other outlets have long described the center as central to the data and modeling pipeline that feeds forecasts used by emergency managers and the military. Scientists told Common Dreams this week that dismantling NCAR could set back efforts to predict and prepare for extreme weather.
Colorado leaders are treating Voughts move as both a scientific and political flashpoint. Democratic Representative Joe Neguse told Common Dreams that the decision to shutter or break up NCAR is deeply dangerous, calling the facility one of the most renowned scientific centers in the world and vowing to fight the directive with every legal tool available. Colorado Governor Jared Polis said his administration had received no formal notice but warned that, if the plan proceeds, public safety is at risk and science is being attacked.
Climate experts are also sounding alarms. Climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe described NCAR as our global mothership for climate science, while hurricane specialist Michael Lowry said the center is crucial to cutting edge meteorology and improvements in weather forecasting. Scientists quoted by Common Dreams and Engineering News Record argue that the move would disrupt a vital stream of weather and climate data used worldwide.
The timing of Voughts announcement has added fuel to the controversy. Common Dreams notes that the breakup plan came just days after former President Donald Trump moved to pardon former Colorado county clerk Tina Peters, who was convicted in state court for breaching voting systems in an effort to support false election fraud claims. Critics in Colorado suggest the NCAR decision is a form of political retaliation against a state leadership that accepts climate science and rejected Trumps claims about the 2020 election.
For now, Russ Voughts role as the architect of this proposed breakup places him at the center of an intensifying battle over how the next administration will treat federal science, climate policy, and the infrastructure that supports lifesaving weather prediction.
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Published on 2 weeks, 1 day ago