The Trump administration is systematically dismantling the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), a leading global climate science institution, in a move experts describe as reminiscent of Stalinist suppression of dissenting scientific views. This action, announced via X (formerly Twitter) by Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought, marks a dangerous escalation in the administration’s campaign against climate science.
Historical Parallels: Lysenkoism and the Purge of Science
The administration’s actions mirror the historical case of Trofim Lysenko in the Soviet Union. Lysenko, a pseudoscientist favored by Stalin, promoted discredited agricultural theories that led to widespread famine in the 1930s. Scientists opposing Lysenko were persecuted, imprisoned, and executed. While the Trump administration hasn’t resorted to physical violence, its policies actively undermine climate research and silence dissenting voices.
Targeted Destruction of Scientific Infrastructure
The closure of NCAR is part of a broader effort to eliminate government-funded climate research. Vought, the architect of this campaign, previously outlined plans to defund nearly all climate-related government programs in his Project 2025 manifesto. Although Congress partially blocked earlier budget cuts, the administration is expected to renew these efforts.
Financial Ties and Fossil Fuel Interests
The administration’s motives are closely tied to financial support from the oil and gas industry, which has donated at least $75 million to Trump’s presidential campaigns. In return, the administration is actively promoting fossil fuel expansion and shielding energy executives from accountability for climate damage.
Impact on Scientists and Research
The consequences are already visible: fewer climate scientists are attending major conferences like the American Geophysical Union meeting, as many federally funded researchers have lost their jobs or seen their budgets slashed. The administration has even commissioned biased reports, such as one released by the Department of Energy, that attempted to downplay climate change impacts.
Scientific Rebuttal and Resistance
However, the administration’s efforts to rewrite climate science have met resistance. More than 85 climate scientists comprehensively debunked the Department of Energy report in September, exposing fundamental errors and policy-based manipulation of data. The National Academy of Sciences reaffirmed the overwhelming scientific consensus on human-caused climate change, undermining the administration’s attempt to overturn the Supreme Court’s “endangerment finding” (which requires greenhouse gas regulation).
Conclusion
The Trump administration’s actions represent a deliberate assault on scientific integrity and a reckless disregard for climate reality. By suppressing research and promoting misinformation, the administration is accelerating climate risks and jeopardizing global well-being—acting, as the authors conclude, as if the destruction of the Library of Alexandria is a playbook rather than a warning.
