The Trump administration is trying to eliminate proof of climate change
10 months ago
- #NOAA
- #climate-change
- #Keeling-Curve
- The Trump administration's proposed budget aims to shut down the Mauna Loa laboratory in Hawaii, which has provided critical evidence of human-caused climate change since the 1950s.
- The Mauna Loa lab measures atmospheric CO2 levels, contributing to the iconic Keeling Curve, a key indicator of rising greenhouse gases.
- The budget proposal also targets other climate labs, including those in the US greenhouse gas monitoring network, as part of a broader effort to eliminate NOAA's climate-related research.
- The Keeling Curve, started by Charles David Keeling and now overseen by his son Ralph Keeling, shows CO2 levels rising from 313 ppm in 1958 to over 430 ppm in recent measurements.
- NOAA's potential shutdown of the lab could disrupt the long-term CO2 record, though Scripps may seek alternative funding to continue measurements.
- The proposal aligns with Project 2025, a conservative plan to overhaul the government, and would eliminate NOAA's Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, shifting focus to operational weather forecasting.