Brief
Fired U.S. Climate Scientists Publish Independent Assessment
The report, issued by former National Climate Assessment staff, examines recent climate research and emerging priorities.
By Felo News Desk · Published
After the Trump administration halted work on the National Climate Assessment and dismissed hundreds of scientists, a group of former federal researchers released a new synthesis of climate research. The "U.S. Climate Collection" was published simultaneously in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society and Earth’s Future, according to Rolling Stone.
What happened
The National Climate Assessment, a congressionally mandated report produced for more than two decades, was stopped in April 2025. The administration’s decision led to the termination of many scientists who had been preparing the next edition. In response, those scientists compiled and released a series of reports that assess climate research progress since the 2023 assessment and outline future research needs. The effort was presented as a way to “think about what we know, what has advanced since then and what emerging priorities need to be addressed,” the report’s lead author said.
What the reports add
Rolling Stone notes that the new collection highlights several gaps: the interaction of heat waves with wildfire smoke, improvements needed in weather forecasting, indirect economic impacts of climate change, and growing threats to agriculture. It also stresses that human‑caused greenhouse‑gas emissions are increasing the likelihood, frequency, and intensity of extreme weather events across the United States.
What was said
"It’s been a number of years since the last National Climate Assessment, and this effort is intended to think about what we know, what has advanced since then and what emerging priorities need to be addressed," Melissa Kenney, lead author and director of research at the University of Minnesota’s Institute on the Environment, told Rolling Stone.
Kenney added, "Without regular assessments, we risk making today’s decisions using yesterday’s climate information." She also explained that a single study provides limited evidence, but a synthesis of many studies helps connect the dots for policymakers.
How it came about
The report follows a pattern of climate‑related reporting that Felo News has covered recently, including the Nepal glacier flood (nepal-floods-2024) and the Palau climate‑justice appeal (palau-climate-crisis). Those stories highlighted how climate impacts can exacerbate disasters and the importance of timely scientific information, themes echoed in the new U.S. Climate Collection.
Key facts
- The Trump administration halted the National Climate Assessment in April 2025 and dismissed hundreds of scientists. (rollingstone.com)
- Former NCA staff released the "U.S. Climate Collection" in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society and Earth’s Future. (rollingstone.com)
- The report identifies research gaps in heat‑wave and wildfire‑smoke interactions, weather forecasting, economic effects, and agriculture threats. (rollingstone.com)
- Lead author Melissa Kenney said regular assessments are needed to avoid using outdated climate information. (rollingstone.com)
Sources
- [1] rollingstone.com — originally reported as “Fired Government Scientists Are Finding New Ways to Spread the Word on Climate Change”
