US Stops Tracking Climate Change Costs: A Dangerous Game of Denial
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will cease updating its Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters database after 2024, archiving existing data from 1980 onward. This decision, attributed to evolving priorities and staffing changes, eliminates a crucial resource for tracking the escalating costs of climate change-fueled weather disasters. Experts express concern that this loss, coupled with previous NOAA staffing cuts, will hinder understanding of climate change’s impact and compromise public safety. The move is seen as another instance of the Trump administration minimizing the federal government’s focus on climate change.
John Q. Hosedrinker