"It’s critical for public health and safety that [vaccines]continue to be accessible and safe to the public. But political interference in federal research studies, programs, and messaging, based on fabrications and conspiracy theories, will only continue to undermine public health."

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...

ICYMI: Last month, a Swiss court ruled that a climate lawsuit brought against cement company Holcim by four Indonesian fishers can proceed. The plaintiffs demand compensation for climate damage they've suffered, financial participation in flood protection measures, and reduction in CO2 emissions.

Parents everywhere want to do everything possible to protect their kids and help them thrive. Secretary Kennedy just robbed us of one of the easiest ways to keep our kids safe, through routine science-based vaccine schedules. I'm angry about the kids that will suffer because of this cruel decision.

The US House Committee on Science, Space and Technology will hear from only chemical industry representatives this Thursday about the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA), the primary federal law safeguarding the public from exposures to toxic chemicals.

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.

Five years ago today, a violent mob invaded the US Capitol, at President Trump’s urging, to disrupt certification of an election he lost. This attack on the US government was a clear and disturbing sign of the authoritarian path he took then—and continues to advance today. (🧵)

This roundup from @theguardian.com covers developments in US lawsuits seeking to hold #BigOil accountable for climate deception & damages. This includes new & novel litigation, such as the first-ever wrongful-death lawsuit against Big Oil for a relative's death during an extreme heatwave in WA.

Funding cuts to critical research, staff reductions at agencies, political interference & disinformation are eroding public trust in decades of peer-reviewed science. How can we respond to this challenging moment? Here's some inspiration by Allie Cashel from @protectdemocracy.org.

¿Recuerdas la primera vez vez que escuchaste que el planeta se está calentando por la acción humana? ¿O recién te estás enterando? Las compañías de combustibles fósiles lo supieron hace 70 años… e hicieron lo posible para evitar que tú lo supieras. Conoce más en la 2da parte de nuestro podcast:

UCS is a US-based nonprofit organization founded more than 50 years ago. Our team of scientists and everyday people work together to make change on the biggest issues of our time, including climate change, nuclear weapons, transportation, food, and democracy. Join us: www.ucs.org

We’re closing out a year filled with unprecedented attacks on science, but the pushback is growing. Hear from UCS President @gretchentg.bsky.social on how UCS and the scientific community are standing up for science:

We are proud to celebrate our 2025 Science Defenders! Meet Neighbors for Environmental Justice (N4EJ), a group that has been working since 2018 to educate, advocate, and organize with the community to advance environmental justice on the southwest side of Chicago.

¿Te has preguntado cuánta energía se necesita para generar una simple respuesta ChatGPT? ¿O cuánta agua utilizan los centros de datos para enfriar todo ese poder de cálculo? Lee el blog de José Pablo Ortiz, de UCS, para comprender el impacto medioambiental de la Inteligencia Artificial:

2025 saw some big moments in climate litigation. As politics hit roadblocks, courts stepped up—protecting rights, restoring funding, and keeping climate accountability moving forward. UCS’s Delta Merner looks back at the year’s major wins.

It’s December, and we’re honoring UCS’s 2025 Science Defenders! Meet Dr. Yanelli Nunez, a senior scientist at PSE Healthy Energy, who provides data and analysis to help empower communities, amplify their voices, and work toward a healthier energy future.

When we created this report on renewable energy in 2008, solar panels and wind turbines weren’t as common as they are today. ☀️🌬️ What is renewable energy, and what are the benefits? Check out our updated resource to learn how renewables help our health, air, and economy.

Get your friends and family to act on climate during the holidays! Our Climate Action Button offers dozens of easy climate change actions that you can take RIGHT NOW. 🌎Clicking the button won't solve the climate crisis. But it'll help! 👇

For all of us who care about science, evidence-based policymaking, our changing climate, and democracy, this has been a sobering year. But thanks to your support, UCS has been monitoring and responding to these attacks with the arsenal of tools at our disposal.

"We see Illinois as an inspiration for other states, taking action to address rising electricity costs and signaling that it will not allow the Trump administration to dictate a dirty energy future for its people." Learn more in James Gignac's blog:

It is hard to overstate how wildly inappropriate it is to replace a National Climate Assessment--A process normally involving hundreds scientists, significant public and expert input, and US government-wide coordination--with five climate skeptics using AI. www.eenews.net/articles/its...

What’s the relationship between winter weather & climate change? It starts with the polar vortex. UCS's @marc-alessi.bsky.social breaks it down for you. This holiday season, show some love to your local meteorologists and support science and scientific funding.

The Science for Public Good Fund is back! Apply today for up to $1500 to support your science advocacy efforts.

In Massachusetts, electricity prices have risen 50% over the past decade. To address affordability, lawmakers are considering new approaches. Unfortunately, a House energy bill includes provisions that could slow climate action and clean energy progress. UCS’s Paula Garcia explains in her blog.

One positive outcome from this year’s #COP30 was the launch of the Declaration on Information Integrity on Climate Change, which has now been signed by 20 countries. In her blog, UCS’s Kate Cell discusses how we can fight for the right to information and highlights the perils of silencing science.

A February 2026 deadline requires the EPA to address air pollution from soot, but the agency appears to have taken few steps, if any, to do so. Learn more and read the letter that 106 groups, including UCS, signed opposing this move.

65 years after President Eisenhower’s famous farewell address, military industrial power still appears largely unchecked. Sean Manning, a Herbert Scoville Jr. Peace Fellow, provides a critical analysis of how the scope of the military industrial complex has grown and changed in recent years.

"Attempting to erase a country’s scientific heritage, as the Trump administration is now trying to do, should be of concern to every US citizen. Because if climate science is viewed with disfavor today, other fields of scientific inquiry might be next in line for the chopping block."—Ben Santer.

Scientist at #AGU25 are speaking out to #SaveNCAR. Join more than 2000 of your colleagues to call or email your members of Congress to ask them to support NCAR today: agu.quorum.us/campaign/151...

At an @agu.org Town Hall today, @ncar-ucar.bsky.social President Antonio Busalacchi spoke to #AGU25 attendees about what's at stake if NCAR is dismantled. One attendee asked anyone who uses NCAR research to stand up. Almost everyone in the room stood. Read more here: eos.org/research-and...

“The research done at NCAR is an investment by every single tax-paying citizen in the United States, and it benefits all of us,” said UCS's @marc-alessi.bsky.social. “We are able to predict the weather days in advance, giving warning for hurricanes, extreme precipitation events, and droughts.”

Divorced from reality: Trump and his appointees are gutting the very scientific institutions needed to support the Genesis Mission—a planned AI-driven federal research platform stacked with potential risks. UCS analyst @jbd-phd.bsky.social weighs in:

Applications are open! The Science for Public Good Fund offers up to $1500 to support community-driven science advocacy projects. From workshops to local campaigns, you can help spark change. Apply here now:

Of the 536 attacks on science that @jbd-phd.bsky.social and @ucs.org colleagues have tracked since January 20, 2025, many relate to how agencies "have attacked the science behind vaccine safety, development, and efficacy." Consequence for public health will be severe. blog.ucs.org/jules-barbat...

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. today announced a series of federal actions that will slash funding and access to gender-affirming care for minors, building on broader Trump admin’s restrictions on transgender Americans.

It has not been an easy year for science, but there are bright spots worth celebrating. We are honoring our 2025 #ScienceDefenders, inspiring people using science to help communities and protect it from political or other interference. Meet Katelyn Jetelina, founder of Your Local Epidemiologist.

Yesterday, Rep. @joeneguse.bsky.social joined us via Zoom at #AGU25 to reject the Trump admin’s proposal to dismantle the Ntl. Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), one of the US’ leading weather & climate research institutions. Urge Congress to halt this dangerous action: act.ucsusa.org/4oWtCwz

An important new report from @climateintegrity.org illustrates how BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil & Shell have inundated the public w/ deceptive advertisements, positioning themselves as "green" when in fact they are actively fueling climate catastrophe around the globe. #Greenwashing #ClimateAccountablity

“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,” says Carlos Martinez of @ucs.org www.latimes.com/environment/...

@ucs.org has released a letter you can write to your Congressperson to save @ncar-ucar.bsky.social Share your voice on the significant value of this bedrock climate and weather insitution. Your story matters! secure.ucs.org/a/2025-prote...

"Without NCAR’s infrastructure + supercomputing abilities, many small colleges & universities wouldn’t be able to do research with the latest models. NCAR research influences every piece of weather & climate prediction in the US: air quality, droughts, hurricanes + more." - @carlonimbus.bsky.social

The Trump Administration's plan to dismantle the @ncar-ucar.bsky.social is senseless & dangerous. It would weaken weather forecasting, climate research, & the science that keeps people safe. We urge that this plan be abandoned. Call Congress to #SaveNCAR today. buff.ly/7ka1BQA

🚨 Late breaking update! 🚨 We'll be joined by @neguse.house.gov, who will be giving brief remarks on news of threats to NCAR during this #AGU25 session at 5:30 CT in E-2. Join us!

Attn: #AGU25!!

The Trump admin intends to dismantle the National Science Foundation National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), one of the US' leading weather and climate research institutions. We must urge Congress to halt this dangerous action immediately. 🔗Take action: act.ucsusa.org/4oWtCwz

And whether or not you are at #AGU25, you can join us in speaking out against moves by the Trump administration to dismantle @ncar-ucar.bsky.social, the premier weather and climate research center for the nation. secure.ucs.org/a/2025-prote...

At #AGU25 and concerned about news of NCAR dismantling? Join us today 4pm CT. We'll cover independent science action and discuss the key science functions we need the government for--like the critical functions that NCAR provides on weather and climate research. agu.confex.com/agu/agu25/me...

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.

Our talented Scoville fellow, Sean Manning is following the money behind US defense. He writes "It’s up to all Americans interested in a more peaceful world to question why we have a system of increasing investments and decreasing returns.." Please check out his first blog for @ucs.org: