Mr. Trump chose a ‘climate change skeptic’ to be in charge of the US climate report

July 10, according to GuardianPresident Donald Trump’s administration appointed Matthew Wielicki to head the US Global Climate Change Research Program. This scientist is not trained in the right field and is skeptical about climate change.

The Global Climate Change Research Program (USGCRP) was established under the 1990 law of the same name, under former President George HW Bush, to coordinate climate research across 15 federal departments, agencies and agencies.

This program coordination office is responsible for publishing the National Climate Assessment (NCA) report every four years, focusing on the effects of climate change on infrastructure, the economy and people’s lives, serving as the scientific foundation for related policies. However, Mr. Trump drastically cut this program after taking office, firing the team of scientists who will produce the next report for 2027.

With this appointment, Mr. Wielicki will be in charge of shaping the next National Climate Assessment report. He is a geochemist, not properly trained in climate science, who worked at the University of Alabama. He is a climate change skeptic, saying that those who believe in global warming are “deceived”.

On social networks two days ago, this scientist questioned if all extreme weather phenomena are attributed to climate change in one way or another, is this attribution really scientific, or just bias disguised as science. This question is in response to a research report claiming that the climate crisis is the cause of the recent extreme heat wave in Europe.

Since 2023, Mr. Wielicki has expressed doubts about the conclusions of the previous series of National Climate Assessment Reports. He argued that increased solar radiation is the cause of global warming, not carbon dioxide (CO2).

Commenting on this appointment, a White House spokesman said the government “is committed to using the most accurate scientific information to guide public policy”.

“For a long time, the US Global Climate Change Research Program (USGCRP) was exploited as a tool for political agendas instead of accurate science,” this person said. He emphasized that the government wishes to restore the USGCRP and ensure the organization fulfills its legal role.

After taking office as President in early 2025, Mr. Trump drastically cut the USGCRP program. Last week, the portal hosting previous reports was also shut down.

The move to reform the USGCRP is part of the Trump administration’s efforts to target climate research. Since last year, the White House has closed data collection offices and research programs in this area. The government also released a report compiled by five climate-sceptical scientists. On that basis, Mr. Trump canceled the scientific conclusion that “greenhouse gases are harmful to humans” earlier this year.

According to news from Politicoscientists who participated in reports disputing the dangers of greenhouse gases were also invited to participate in the National Climate Assessment. They criticized previous versions of the report, and proposed a new report that emphasized the positive aspects of climate change. They also warned that the most recent reports were “highly influential” and were “regularly cited in climate lawsuits”. In particular, they are used as the basis for many legal regulations as well as lawsuits against fossil fuel businesses.

Ms. Judith Curry, in the above group of scientists, said that previous national climate reports were “almost useless”, because they relied too much on extreme emissions scenarios.

Meanwhile, Mr. Michael Kuperberg, who served as Executive Director of the USGCRP Program before Mr. Trump took office as President, said that it is not difficult to find a small group of people who inaccurately evaluate their research. He asserted that the version of the report the Trump administration is compiling will not represent the entire field of science.

“The real risk is the loss of integrity of the federal government. When the government deliberately chooses a group of people to say ‘the sun will not rise tomorrow,’ they will no longer have faith in the next scientists,” he said.