UCS’s Rachel Cleetus joined @eesionline.org’s podcast, The Climate Conversation, to discuss the risks posed by the upcoming summer months of Danger Season and what lawmakers must do to protect us as climate change intensifies. “We shouldn’t wait for a disaster to strike to act." #EarthDay:

Big Oil companies are going all-out to avoid taking responsibility for the harm caused to communities and for driving the climate crisis. They are using an age-old strategy: delay, distort, and deny. But we won’t let them off the hook.

In his blog, UCS’s Julian Reyes explains how Forest Service restructuring is irreversibly damaging the federal scientific enterprise. It leaves the nation facing growing climate threats with fewer experts to manage wildfires just as risks are surging across the US. 🔗 act.ucsusa.org/4sqD11s

DHS Sec Mullin's 1st official trip to check on Hurricane Helene recovery in North Carolina made it clear he’ll continue President Trump's destructive agenda to restructure FEMA including continuing to place the burden of disaster response & recovery onto states and local gov’s. bit.ly/4tuWhvp

Last week’s monthly wildland fire outlook shows that the US wildfire season is already off to an above-normal start. UCS’s Rachel Cleetus breaks down the risks and impacts of climate change-driven heat across the country, pointing to the lack of policy response from the Trump administration.

Here is the March 2026 temperature departure from the 1991-2020 normal. 🔥🔥🔥

This proposed budget would further enable the Trump administration’s reckless and illegal military actions around the world while directly harming our health and safety. Congress should reject this destructive budget proposal.

The administration is also still trying to throttle clean energy investments, attack life-saving science and gut pollution safeguards which would contribute to higher energy costs, increased pollution and greater risks to people’s lives and health.

The White House has released its 2027 budget proposal – including an astonishing $1.5 trillion in military spending, an unprecedented increase of 66% over the previous year. 🧵

A critical FEMA tool that helps officials decide when to evacuate communities at risk during hurricanes -HURREVAC- is caught in FEMA’s red tape, once again causing frustration and unnecessary concern at all levels of government. wapo.st/41vGiBf

UCS' @carlonimbus.bsky.social provides the latest on the Trump Administration's dismantlement of NCAR, and how we can use our voices to save it, together. Learn more: act.ucsusa.org/3Pk1He5

After contentious hearing, Sen. Mullin cleared 1st hurdle towards confirmation as DHS secretary: yet his answers were evasive, had Chair Rand Paul Q whether someone who applauds violence is right person to lead agency that’s already failing to comply w/ legal limits on use of force. bit.ly/4lF2a6v

"In particular, the Trump administration is increasing demand for electricity at the exact same time as it’s constraining the availability of new electricity supply, resulting in a surging—and costly—supply-demand mismatch. But that’s not all..." Learn more in UCS's Julie McNamara's blog:

It’s crucial for the IPCC and other scientific assessments to take steps to address these flawed estimates of sea level rise, especially in the Global South, so that policies to protect people are based on accurate measures of the risks.

Alarmingly, most of the inaccurate measurements from these studies were also used in IPCC assessment reports intended to inform governments and policymakers on coastal vulnerability.

Out of 385 peer-reviewed studies, only 1 correctly described and aligned coastal sea-level height information to land elevation data. 99% of studies did not use accurate local sea-level height information, made errors in sea-level datum conversion, or missed crucial data processing steps.

This community-wide gap in understanding means that as many as 100 million more people will be affected by sea-level rise over the next century than previous estimates. The number especially increases drastically for Global South regions, particularly Southeast Asia. (Figure 4 from the study)

According to the paper, "On average, global coastal sea level is about 0.3 m higher than commonly assumed ... whereas in Southeast Asia, the discrepancies are the largest, with measured sea level exceeding previous assumed levels by, on average, 0.9–1.1 m."

In a groundbreaking new study released in @Nature.com, Dutch scientists find that today’s sea level is much higher than assumed in most coastal hazard assessments, with the most significant errors in Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific regions.

“Secretary Noem’s reckless undermining of FEMA has put people’s lives at risk and greatly diminished the agency’s disaster response and recovery efforts. Good riddance. We’re glad to finally see her fired, " writes @ucsshana.bsky.social. Read UCS's statement:

“Secretary Noem has overseen a reign of terror at DHS, harming communities across the country and resulting in the deaths of people who sought to hold the administration accountable," writes UCS's Dr. Jennifer Jones.

💝 Love is in the air—and maybe a chill as well! Check out NOAA NCEI's map showing average temperatures for Valentine’s Day in swoon-worthy U.S. cities: bit.ly/FebNCEI

The National Science Foundation has just released its Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) regarding NCAR and it is gut-wrenching. The deadline to submit comments to the DCL is March 13th. I urge folks to please share and inform NSF on the critical importance of NCAR. www.nsf.gov/funding/info...

The Trump admin "has been forced to acknowledge its unlawful actions and release gov. documents related to this case, which will allow the public to see for itself how the DOE and EPA worked in concert to solicit a report with predetermined conclusions aimed at overturning the Endangerment Finding."

The authoritarian, violent, and anti-science actions of the Trump admin over the past week show clear contempt for democracy and the public good, endangering people in the US and around the world. Congress must uphold its constitutional responsibility and hold the administration accountable.

“President Trump’s withdrawal of the United States from the bedrock global treaty to tackle climate change is a new low and yet another a sign that this authoritarian, anti-science administration is determined to sacrifice people’s well-being and destabilize global cooperation." Read UCS Statement:

The Trump admin & DHS Sec #Noem are continuing their ongoing assault on #FEMA with reports of major cuts to FEMA staff, which will put people’s lives and well-being at risk when disasters strike. Congress — we have a problem & oversight is needed ASAP. www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2026...

When science is sidelined, children get hurt. In his latest anti-science move, RFK Jr. ignored overwhelming scientific evidence, bypassed the established review process for vaccine recommendations, and all but guaranteed that more children will get sick.

#NOAA released the 2025 Arctic Report Card this morning and it’s clear that fossil fueled climate change is having an alarming effect on the vital signs of this unique, crucial region of the world. (🧵)

"One bright spot from COP30 was the launch of the Declaration on Information Integrity on Climate Change, which 20 countries from Austria to Uruguay have now signed. Here’s to a 2026 in which we continue to fight for that right, ever more effectively, together."

Michigan communities can breathe easier this winter knowing that the state just streamlined the process to connect affordable and reliable clean energy, thanks to an update to utility DTE’s interconnection procedures. UCS’s Lee Shaver explains what this means in a new blog post:

"Deliberately dismantling an institution so central to weather forecasting and climate change prediction would not only undermine scientific research, it would leave people across the nation less prepared for the dangers of a warming world." Said @carlonimbus.bsky.social.

Consider signing up for this exciting hybrid workshop on Climate and AI in January! I'm excited to speak on one of the panels with @eabarnes.bsky.social and Amelia Cook, moderated by Katie Dagon www.nationalacademies.org/projects/DEP...

Update — I just received this statement from a DHS spokesperson about hiring conspiracy theorist Gregg Phillips to lead FEMA’s Office of Response and Recovery:

Trump Taps Conspiracy Theorist With No Official Experience to Top Disaster Response Job www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trump-taps-conspiracy-theorist-gregg-phillips-with-no-official-experience-to-top-disaster-response-job/ via @thedailybeast.bsky.social

Why were there fewer hurricanes than usual in 2025? And why were they so strong? Could 2025 be just an abnormal year, or was 2025 a glimpse of future hurricane seasons more significantly influenced by fossil fuel-caused #ClimateChange? @marc-alessi.bsky.social breaks it down: bit.ly/3MsiZUR

The Trump admin’s FEMA review council convenes Dec. 11 to discuss and vote on draft report recommendations. In her blog, UCS’s Shana Udvardy explains what to expect, including major concerns that the council will ignore the realities of climate change and the effects of Sec. Noem’s interference.

Trying to bury the evidence on climate change only serves to boost the profits of fossil fuel polluters, while harming the rest of us.

Key US climate change indicators were also scrubbed from EPA webpages, including data and maps on changes in temperature, drought, and heavy precipitation over the last few decades. These webpages can be found on Wayback Machine: web.archive.org/web/20251004...

The Trump administration has removed scientific data and climate change information from US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) webpages, including all references to human activities driving climate change.

Who’s surprised? #DHS Sec. #KristiNoem changes draft FEMA review council report. Former #FEMA head Cameron Hamilton asks blunt Q. “What degree of confidence do you have that the report that you submit to DHS will be what is submitted to the president?” www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

Trump’s FEMA director — the guy who replaced the YouTuber — just quit. FEMA has now been leaderless for over a year. This is what failure looks like.

Erika Spanger from UCS explains how climate change is fueling Hurricane Melissa and what it means for people in its path.

"At a moment when climate impacts are accelerating and disinformation is eroding trust in science, the work here continues steadfast, and that is no small feat." Read Dr. Delta Merner's blog from the IPCC meeting in Lima, Peru.

Bad day in Jamaica.

"Let’s not forget that there are those to hold accountable for disasters like this: the policymakers and fossil fuel companies who have long obstructed climate action, lied about climate science, and left communities to face the destruction of extreme disasters."

Shockingly, because of the government shutdown, the hurricane hunters are going unpaid as they risk their lives for theise data. And staff at the National Hurricane Center are also without pay as they continue to perform their critical duties during this record-breaking storm.

Hurricane Melissa has made landfall in Jamaica as a powerful Category 5 hurricane with 185 mph sustained winds. It will tie the strongest hurricane to make landfall in Atlantic recorded history based on central pressure. Follow the latest forecast here: www.hurricanes.gov

The delay in granting the disaster declaration for #Alaska after #Halong follows a disturbing trend by the Trump administration to delay requests and reimbursements and a trend of wondering, where exactly is #FEMA? blog.ucs.org/shana-udvard...

After Ex-Typhoon #Halong hit #Alaska on Oct.12 w/hurricane-force winds & floods, devastating remote villages & evacuation of ~1,800 people, Gov. Dunleavy had to fly to DC to get Pres. Trump to grant a disaster declaration unlocking $25M in critical relief. www.alaskasnewssource.com/2025/10/22/h...