Climate Research Lab Dissolve 12/17 15:09

   The Trump administration is dismantling the National Center for Atmospheric 
Research in Colorado, moving to dissolve a research lab that a top White House 
official described as "one of the largest sources of climate alarmism in the 
country."

   WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Trump administration is dismantling the National 
Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado, moving to dissolve a research lab 
that a top White House official described as "one of the largest sources of 
climate alarmism in the country."

   White House budget director Russ Vought criticized the lab in a social media 
post Tuesday night and said a comprehensive review of the lab is underway. 
"Vital activities such as weather research will be moved to another entity or 
location," Vought said.

   The research lab, which houses the largest federal research program on 
climate change, supports research to predict, prepare for and respond to severe 
weather and other natural disasters. The research lab is managed by a nonprofit 
consortium of more than 130 colleges and universities on behalf of the National 
Science Foundation.

   A senior White House official cited two instances of the lab's "woke 
direction" that wastes taxpayer funds on what the official called frivolous 
pursuits and ideologies. One funded an Indigenous and Earth Sciences center 
that aimed to "make the sciences more welcoming, inclusive, and 
justice-centered," while another experiment traced air pollution to "demonize 
motor vehicles, oil and gas operations.'' The official spoke on condition of 
anonymity to speak frankly about the administration's actions.

   For climate scientists the lab "is quite literally our global mothership," 
said Katharine Hayhoe, a climate scientist and Distinguished Professor at Texas 
Tech University.

   "NCAR supports the scientists who fly into hurricanes, the meteorologists 
who develop new radar technology, the physicists who envision and code new 
weather models, and yes -- the largest community climate model in the world. 
That too," Hayhoe said in a social media post.

   "Dismantling NCAR is like taking a sledgehammer to the keystone holding up 
our scientific understanding of the planet," she said.

   Following World War II, interest in meteorology, solar observations and 
atmospheric science increased, spurring the creation of NCAR. The focus 
initially centered on atmospheric chemistry and physical meteorology.

   NCAR's budget more than doubled from the 1980s into the 1990s, driven by 
increased federal focus on climate change research.

   Colorado Gov. Jared Polis called the lab a global leader in earth systems 
scientific research.

   "Climate change is real, but the work of NCAR goes far beyond climate 
science," the two-term Democrat said. "NCAR delivers data around severe weather 
events like fires and floods that help our country save lives and property and 
prevent devastation for families. If these cuts move forward we will lose our 
competitive advantage against foreign powers and adversaries in the pursuit of 
scientific discovery."

   The White House said President Donald Trump is restoring the lab to its 
original purpose. It is unclear how many of the research lab's 830 employees 
and associated programs at partnering universities could be affected.

   The change comes after the administration recently targeted another Colorado 
lab, the former National Renewable Energy Lab, to remove its focus on wind and 
solar power. The Energy Department site was renamed "National Laboratory of the 
Rockies" earlier this month.

   Assistant Energy Secretary Audrey Robertson said the Trump administration is 
"no longer picking and choosing energy sources."

   Colorado's Democratic senators -- John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet -- 
along with Democratic Rep. Joe Neguse argued in a statement that the center's 
work has led to early warnings for natural disasters and has deepened 
understanding of the Earth's systems. They called the administration's move 
reckless, saying it would have devastating consequences for families in 
Colorado and communities across the nation.

   "Efforts to dismantle this institution and its essential programs are deeply 
dangerous and blatantly retaliatory," they said.

   Antonio Busalacchi, president of the nonprofit consortium, said dismantling 
the research lab "would set back our nation's ability to predict, prepare for, 
and respond to severe weather and other natural disasters."