Climate scientists fear they will lose their jobs under Trump's DOGE

Climate scientists are fearful that once President-elect Donald Trump re-enters office, they may lose their jobs, citing probable funding cuts for climate research. Dozens of scientists expressed similar concerns at the annual American Geophysical Union (AGU) meeting in Washington, D.C. this week. Many believe that climate research will be targeted by Trump's new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) headed by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. 

Jill Brandenburger, climate security program manager at Pacific Northwest Laboratory, told Politico in an interview: "Everybody at AGU is nervous. The unknown is what makes people nervous."

Numerous scientists at the conference expressed concern that the second Trump administration may be more hostile to research that underpins federal regulations on environmental health and climate. According to individuals who attended the conference, scientists from various government agencies, including NASA and NOAA, as well as the Energy Department's network of national laboratories, may soon encounter situations that could jeopardize their work, conceal their research, or result in unemployment. The scientists believe they will be political targets.

While some scientists, such as Brandenberger, are optimistic that research will persist in some capacity, others are preparing for transformations. 

Fear has been exacerbated following the announcement of DOGE. The commission, which is headed by Musk and Ramaswamy, is responsible for reducing the size of the government by implementing funding cuts. This has raised concerns that federal climate science initiatives may be among the first to be eliminated.

Trump's administration proposed the elimination of NASA Earth observation research funding and the purging of climate information from federal websites during his first term. Additionally, Trump promoted individuals who opposed climate science to critical roles within the White House and prominent agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Andrew Dessler, president of AGU's global environmental change section, said climate scientists are "exhausted" by their research being targeted. "It's not so much that we people have evidence that it's going to be bad. It's just that if you look at what they say, that's clearly what they want to do," he said.