The Trump administration has announced plans to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado, a facility widely regarded as a leading institution for climate research. Russell Vought, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, accused the center of spreading “climate alarmism” and stated that a comprehensive review is underway, with any vital activities, such as weather research, to be relocated.
Governor Jared Polis of Colorado criticized the move, warning that it puts “public safety at risk.” He emphasized that NCAR’s work extends beyond climate science to include data on severe weather events like fires and floods, which help save lives and property. The center employs approximately 830 staff and operates the Mesa Laboratory in Boulder, along with two aircraft for atmospheric research and a supercomputing facility in Wyoming.
Climate experts and researchers have condemned the decision, calling NCAR a “crown jewel” of US scientific enterprise. Roger Pielke Jr, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, argued that dismantling the facility would be a “petty and vindictive” move based on the politics of climate change, and that the US cannot afford to lose such a resource if it aims to be a global leader in atmospheric sciences.
The administration has identified several NCAR projects as wasteful, including the Rising Voices Center for Indigenous and Earth Sciences and research into wind turbines, which President Donald Trump has repeatedly denounced. This action aligns with Trump’s frequent characterizations of climate change as a “con job” or “hoax,” and follows proposed cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s climate and weather laboratories.
