Federal climate education resource website at risk of closure, potentially leaving educators without an essential teaching tool
In a move that has left educators and scientists concerned, the Climate.gov website, once a trusted resource for accurate and up-to-date climate information, is no longer functioning as an active, regularly updated scientific resource. This shift, driven by the Trump administration's 2025 executive order, has resulted in firings and funding cuts that have effectively defunded and halted the site's updates.
The executive order, titled "Restoring Gold Standard Science," grants political appointees the authority to filter and modify scientific information to align with administration policy objectives. This has led to fears from educators and scientists that Climate.gov, previously a "gold standard" resource for scientific accuracy and climate education, may be used to spread misinformation or reduced to a politically acceptable version of climate science rather than transparent, up-to-date data.
Teachers relying on Climate.gov and associated resources like the CLEAN educational materials report that these changes will degrade the quality of resources without funding and staffing, severely impacting climate education in classrooms. The administration’s move is viewed by many experts and educators as a dismantling of a trusted federal climate information platform.
Climate.gov is run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Program Office. The site's previous leader, David Herring, is a science writer and educator. However, with the site's homepage now redirected to a more general NOAA.gov/climate page, users and educators find it difficult to navigate and lacking in the detailed, localized, and regularly updated information that Climate.gov provided.
Studies suggest that a greater understanding of climate change among young people can reduce anxiety. Yet, with textbooks tending to downplay the effects of climate change and the Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network, the official content provider for the education section of the site, not receiving its latest grant installment and expecting its funds to run out in August, the future of climate education in schools is uncertain.
The Climate.gov shutdown is not the only instance of the Trump administration's impact on climate education. The Environmental Protection Agency's environmental justice toolkit was taken down earlier this year, and the Department of Commerce has cut federal funding for climate research at Princeton University.
These actions have raised concerns among educators and scientists. Bertha Vazquez, education director for the Center of Inquiry, worries that the disappearance of climate information could leave U.S. students behind. An educator named Lau feels helpless and frustrated about Climate.gov's shutdown and the "attack on American science in general."
Despite the executive order publicly framing itself as spurring innovation and American leadership in science, its implementation on Climate.gov shows a prioritized control over scientific content, restricting public access to comprehensive climate data. About 3 in 4 registered voters say schools should teach children about global warming, according to a 2024 report. However, with Climate.gov no longer producing new content, the future of comprehensive, accessible, and accurate climate education remains uncertain.
- Nature
- The Washington Post
- The Guardian
- The New York Times
- Science Magazine
- The shutdown of Climate.gov, a trusted resource for climate science and education, has sparked criticism and political debates, making headlines on general news platforms such as Nature, The Washington Post, The Guardian, The New York Times, and Science Magazine.
- The removal of climate information resources, including the Climate.gov website and the Environmental Protection Agency's environmental justice toolkit, raises concerns about the impact on environmental science education and the ability of students to develop a comprehensive understanding of climate change.
- In a period when scientific innovation and collaboration are crucial to addressing urgent issues like climate change, the US administration's policy and legislation choices have left many questioning the future of climate research and education, as demonstrated by cutbacks at institutions like Princeton University and the Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network.
- Science educators and climate scientists alike are calling for transparency and accuracy in climate information, as the current state of policy and legislative decisions may contribute to a dismantling of federal platforms, such as Climate.gov, and subsequent barriers to scientific learning and self-development.
- Amid this backdrop of uncertainty in the educational sector, it is essential that we promote innovation and access to reliable climate information, as it is crucial for a well-informed public and a thriving environmental landscape – issues that are relevant to policymakers, scientists, and the general public alike.
