A few weeks after Donald Trump was elected for a second term, Denice Ross hosted a gathering at her home. As the chief data scientist for the Biden Administration, she understood the vast amount of information the government collects. This data is crucial – from steering safe shipping routes to assessing how vulnerable communities are in disasters.
During that evening, Ross and her guests pulled down the artwork from her walls and replaced them with Post-It notes. They mapped out potential risks if the administration targeted data collection and sharing, something that had occurred in 2017. The groundwork was laid for a fight to protect scientific data from being undermined or erased.
The group’s discussions quickly filled the room with concerns about what could go wrong. Ross now works with the Federation of American Scientists and recalls how, a year after Trump’s first inauguration, many of their fears had come true—just faster than expected. For example, shortly after Trump took office, the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool was taken offline but was quickly restored by a new coalition called the Public Environmental Data Partners (PEDP).
Today, more than a dozen organizations, many led by women, collaborate tirelessly to safeguard environmental and climate data. They’ve archived over 360 datasets, backed up nearly 710 terabytes of historical Smithsonian data, and ensured that more than 311,000 datasets from data.gov remain available. These efforts are not just about preserving information but making sure that public data remains accessible.
Brittany Janis, from the Open Environmental Data Project, emphasizes the need to keep this data usable and relevant. The challenges are immense; in just the first three months of Trump’s second term, changes to official environmental websites were 70% more than during his previous term. By mid-2025, significant reductions in public access to data were documented, including the removal of critical climate indicators.
The rush to preserve data resembles the frantic pace many experienced during Trump’s first presidency. Back then, Gretchen Gehrke helped establish the Environmental Data & Governance Initiative (EDGI) to secure environmental information. This sense of urgency became even more pronounced as environmental data faced unprecedented threats during the second Trump administration.
The first few months were a whirlwind. “It felt like drinking from a firehose,” Gehrke said. The rapid changes led many activists to band together, knowing that information was crucial for decisions on everything from drinking water safety to community planning.
Importantly, environmental data touches everyday life. For instance, information about bat populations helps farmers control pests without chemicals. Similarly, measuring vegetation health is vital for farmers applying for disaster relief, while data from the American Community Survey aids during emergencies, like hurricanes, by identifying households without transportation.
The dedicated efforts to create accessible information are vital for understanding and tackling climate change. For instance, when climate.gov was essentially dismantled after staff layoffs, Rebecca Lindsey initiated a nonprofit to continue its mission. Her project focuses on ensuring reliable data concerning climate science remains available to the public.
The sustainability of these initiatives is fraught with challenges. Many volunteers are stretched thin, balancing their personal finances to keep these projects afloat. The insights gathered serve not only to archive but also to support necessary decisions in society.
Sustaining these vital services will require significant funding, as groups aim to replicate a comprehensive federal-level resource. They recognize the gravity of their mission, often voicing concerns about how essential this data is during a perceived internal crisis.
Yet, despite these obstacles, a shared sense of duty keeps them motivated. As Lindsey puts it, the goal extends beyond personal mission statements—it’s about serving the public need for reliable environmental information during critical times.
For a broader view on how government data influences our lives, more information can be found in reports from the Union of Concerned Scientists and other reliable sources on the ongoing conflict over environmental data accessibility.
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policy,climate change
