Federal climate education site under potential closure threatens educators' resources
In the second term of the Trump administration, federal climate resources, including the popular climate website Climate.gov, are facing aggressive censorship and dismantling efforts.
The administration has been systematically erasing climate science data, removing past climate assessments from government websites, cutting funding for climate research, and dismissing federal climate scientists [2][4][5]. One of the most significant moves involves the EPA's attempt to eliminate the 2009 "endangerment finding" that established greenhouse gases as a threat to public health, which is the legal foundation for federal climate regulations.
The changes at Climate.gov are part of a broader deregulatory agenda to roll back climate policies, justified legally by arguing that the Obama-era EPA overstepped its authority [1][3][5]. Since early May, all 10 editorial contributors to Climate.gov have lost their jobs, and the site will no longer produce new content [6]. The organization that produces Climate.gov's education resources is also expected to run out of money soon, and the Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network anticipates that its funds will be depleted by August [7].
The EPA's environmental justice toolkit was taken down earlier this year, further reducing resources available for climate education [3]. Many science teachers rely on these federal tools for climate education, and the disappearance of climate information has left U.S. students potentially behind [8][9].
The shutdown of Climate.gov and the erasure of climate science data have raised concerns among educators and advocates. Bertha Vazquez, education director for the Center of Inquiry, expressed her worries about the disappearance of climate information, fearing that the site could be transformed into a platform for disinformation [8].
The impact of these changes on climate education is significant, as a 2019 study found that 77 percent of Americans regard it as very or somewhat important for elementary and secondary school students to learn about climate change [10]. About 3 in 4 registered voters also say schools should teach children about global warming, according to a 2024 report from the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication [11].
Despite the challenges, some educators are working to fill the gap left by the shutdown of Climate.gov. Science teacher Jeff Grant uses information from Climate.gov to create lesson plans and educate fellow teachers [1]. However, few teachers have received training on climate change, and textbooks tend to downplay the effects of climate change [12].
The shutdown of Climate.gov and the erasure of climate science data have left educators feeling helpless and frustrated, with Lau, an educator, expressing his concerns about the "attack on American science in general" [8]. The Department of Commerce, which oversees NOAA, has also cut federal funding for climate research at Princeton University [13].
Despite these challenges, there is hope that the next administration will prioritize climate education and restore the federal climate resources that have been erased or dismantled under the current administration. A greater understanding of climate change among young people can help reduce anxiety about it, and educators are working to ensure that students have access to accurate and up-to-date information about climate change [14].
References:
- NPR
- The New York Times
- The Washington Post
- The Guardian
- The Hill
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- The current administration's aggressive censorship and dismantling of federal climate resources, such as Climate.gov, have raised concerns within education and self-development circles, as these resources are crucial for climate education.
- The removal of past climate assessments from government websites, funding cuts for climate research, and dismissal of federal climate scientists have hindered the progress of environmental-science and innovation.
- Policy-and-legislation changes, like the EPA's attempt to eliminate the 2009 endangerment finding, contribute to the general-news scene of climate-change disregard and dismantling of federal climate resources.
- With the shutdown of Climate.gov and the resulting disappearance of climate information, educators like Bertha Vazquez fear that the site could become a platform for disinformation, which could have a negative impact on learning.
- Despite the challenges posed by the current administration's climate policies, some educators are finding ways to fill the gap left by the loss of Climate.gov resources, emphasizing the importance of climate education for reducing anxiety about climate change and providing accurate and up-to-date information to students.
