Here & Now Anytime Trump moves to dismantle a ‘global mothership’ of climate research
Dec 18, 2025
Catherine Hayhoe, an atmospheric scientist and chief scientist at the Nature Conservancy, discusses the implications of dismantling the National Center for Atmospheric Research, emphasizing its irreplaceable role in climate science. Jane Perlez, a veteran journalist and former New York Times Beijing bureau chief, analyzes the shifting U.S.-China relations, including the complexities surrounding Taiwan and the impact on technology and security. Both guests explore critical themes of misinformation and how these geopolitical dynamics shape global leadership.
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NCAR Is The Backbone Of Climate Science
- The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) is a central hub providing models, data, and computing that the whole climate and weather community depends on.
- Breaking up or defunding NCAR would fragment resources and slow progress on forecasting and climate decision-making.
Protect Shared Climate Infrastructure
- Preserve funding and scale for shared computational resources and community models because smaller groups cannot replicate that infrastructure quickly.
- Avoid political decisions that terminate major grants and disrupt the ecosystem that relies on NCAR.
Science Cuts Empower Misinformation
- Attacks on climate science create a vacuum that misinformation fills, worsening public understanding and preparedness.
- Reducing scientific output increases daily false claims about weather and climate on social media.