Trump picks climate science critic to lead key U.S. climate report

The Trump administration has chosen a man who disagrees with most climate scientists to lead a major U.S. government climate report. Matthew Wielicki is a former college professor who says the dangers of climate change are exaggerated. He will now run the program that writes the National Climate Assessment, a report that tells Americans how rising temperatures affect every part of the country. Lawmakers, communities, and businesses use this report to plan for floods, wildfires, heat waves, and other climate effects.

Wielicki worked as a geologist at the University of Alabama, studying things like meteor craters and the history of mountains. He has no formal training in climate science and has not published any peer-reviewed studies on the topic. In 2023, he resigned from his teaching job and started posting on social media and going on podcasts. He used these platforms to argue that climate scientists were too worried about warming and overlooked its positive effects.

On one podcast, Wielicki said the bad effects of warming 'have really fallen apart' and that problems like rising seas are easy to manage. However, scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration say global sea levels have risen 8 to 9 inches since the 1800s. Some parts of the U.S. coast have seen coastal flooding increase five to ten times. Low-lying island nations around the world could be flooded by the end of this century under even moderate warming.

President Trump has called climate change a 'hoax' and has worked to roll back climate rules across the government. Earlier this year, the administration fired hundreds of scientists who were working on the next climate assessment. The White House said the program had been used for 'political agendas instead of sound science' and promised to restore it.

Some fired scientists are worried about what comes next. Rachel Cleetus of the Union of Concerned Scientists said people need honest science to stay safe from climate impacts. 'We need good science to help us get ready for these impacts that are coming our way instead of putting our heads in the sand and denying it's happening,' she said. She warned that ignoring the science puts more lives and safety at risk.

Meade Krosby, a scientist at the University of Washington who was also fired from the project, said she fears the next report could include false or misleading information. She pointed out that communities across the country are already dealing with record heat, wildfires, and floods. 'They really need credible tools and resources right now to help them respond, not a collection of climate denial talking points,' she said.

Not everyone is unhappy with the appointment. Myron Ebell, who has long criticized mainstream climate science, said he hopes the next report will be 'based more on data and scientific research.' Energy Secretary Chris Wright called Wielicki 'an honest scientist who follows the data wherever it leads.' These supporters believe a new perspective will improve the report.

After the scientists were dismissed, two major science groups decided to keep working on their own. The American Geophysical Union and the American Meteorological Society said they would publish climate studies in peer-reviewed journals so the information stays available. Scientist Walter Robinson said the goal is to make sure the work is done well no matter what happens in government. 'The people who use these climate assessments, including citizens and businesses and local governments all over the country, they're going to need this information and they will need it to be done well,' he said.