Matthew Wielicki, a former geochemist who has publicly criticized what he calls 'climate alarmism' and describes himself as an 'Earth science professor-in-exile,' has been appointed by the Trump administration to lead the US Global Change Research Program (USGCRP). This program oversees the National Climate Assessment (NCA), a congressionally mandated report detailing climate impacts on the United States.
Wielicki's Background and Views
Wielicki lacks formal training in climate science. He left his position as a geosciences professor at the University of Alabama three years ago, stating on social media that the profession was 'no longer worthy of my efforts.' He added that 'contributing to this is the earth science communities silence on the false climate emergency narrative.'
Wielicki frequently posts climate-skeptic content online, including videos for the rightwing YouTube channel PragerU. In a recent social media post, he questioned whether attributing every extreme weather event to climate change is 'confirmation bias dressed up as science.' In 2023, he claimed that people who believe in climate science are 'being sold snake oil.' On his blog, Irrational Fear, he argued that increasing solar radiation, not carbon dioxide, has caused atmospheric warming.
Administration's Stance and Reactions
A White House spokesperson defended the appointment, stating, 'For too long, the USGCRP has been used as a vehicle for political agendas instead of sound science. We look forward to restoring the USGCRP and ensuring it fulfills its legal mandate.'
However, Carlos Martinez, a senior climate scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists, warned, 'Our country cannot afford a compromised USGCRP or NCA that peddles politically motivated disinformation echoing fossil fuel industry talking points. Reconstituting the USGCRP only to place the National Climate Assessment under the auspices of an utterly unqualified climate science denier would jeopardize the integrity of one of the nation's most important climate science resources.'
Broader Attack on Climate Research
This appointment is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to undermine climate research. Since re-entering office, officials have closed data-collection offices and climate research programs. Last summer, the Department of Energy published a report written by five climate skeptics that denied climate science. The Trump administration also shut down the online portal for accessing previous editions of the National Climate Assessment, which have been produced every four years since 1990 under a congressional mandate.
In response, two major US scientific societies—the American Meteorological Society and the American Geophysical Union—announced last year that they would produce peer-reviewed research to fill the gaps left by the gutted USGCRP. This came after officials dismissed all contributors to the sixth National Climate Assessment. American Geophysical Union president Brandon Jones stated, 'It's incumbent on us to ensure our communities, our neighbors, our children are all protected and prepared for the mounting risks of climate change.'
