Since Donald Trump took office again, many government data sets have been changed or removed. This includes vital resources that help researchers and policymakers understand communities at risk from climate change and other hazards.
Eric Nost, a geographer at the University of Guelph in Canada, is collaborating with the Environmental Data and Governance Initiative to back up these important resources. He notes that while every new administration brings website changes, the current situation is unusual.
“When information is removed or altered misleadingly, it feels like censorship,” Nost explains. He recently talked about his work with \emph{Yale Environment 360}.
What actions did your team take as Trump’s potential return to power became apparent?
Nost: As Trump’s second term seemed likely, we prepared by identifying hundreds of critical data sets from U.S. federal agencies. The Wayback Machine captures website snapshots, but it can’t always archive downloadable data effectively. So, we formed the Public Environmental Data Partners, focused on saving at-risk data sets. We created a list of hundreds, narrowing it down to 60 that we felt needed urgent backup.
What happened after Trump returned to office in January?
Nost: By the end of January, Data.gov had lost around 2,000 records out of 308,000. While this doesn’t mean they’re permanently gone, it complicates access significantly. From day one, Trump’s focus on issues like diversity, equity, and inclusion has shifted agency priorities, cutting resources like the 25-year-old climate center at the Department of Transportation. Efforts to remove relevant terminology like “climate change” from websites have also made finding important information much harder.
So far, we haven’t seen total removals of scientific data, but there’s a noticeable shift in how data on environmental justice and equity is presented. Some data sets, especially those related to environmental justice grants from the EPA, are hard to track down now.
What specific tools or resources have been lost?
Nost: It’s not just the data, but critical tools for public use, too. For instance, the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool was designed to identify disadvantaged communities for climate investments. It was developed under Biden’s Justice40 initiative but was taken down within days of Trump taking office. Luckily, we had the original code, allowing us to rebuild and host the tool elsewhere.
Similar tools, like EJScreen from the EPA, were also removed. Although this tool had its flaws, it was valuable for community groups and governments working on environmental justice projects. Thankfully, because we had access to the code, we could recreate it and ensure it remains available.
How did you first get involved with tracking government data?
Nost: I became involved eight years ago at the start of Trump’s first administration, when the Environmental Data and Governance Initiative formed in response to the potential dismantling of the EPA. Since then, we’ve been tracking website changes closely.
How does your work with EDGI operate?
Nost: We collaborate with the Internet Archive and the Wayback Machine to generate weekly reports on changes to government web pages. Volunteers help verify changes and assess their importance.
Who funds EDGI?
Nost: We receive support from various foundations, including funding from the National Science Foundation.
What observations do you have about the current climate for research and advocacy?
Nost: The environment for researchers in the U.S. has become challenging, especially in light of funding changes. It’s disheartening to see the erosion of public resources, affecting both data and the jobs of skilled workers in government.
Are there any protections in place for important records?
Nost: Many biophysical climate data sets are Congress-mandated, meaning they’re less likely to disappear entirely. However, previous administrations have shown willingness to ignore such mandates, so vigilance is critical.
What else distinguishes Trump’s current administration from the last one?
Nost: One concerning change is the decreased access to information for people outside the U.S., such as FEMA’s tracking of natural disaster risks.
Why does all this matter?
Nost: The current administration has rolled back decades of progress on environmental justice, actively dismantling frameworks established by prior leaders. This shift in data and information resources can confuse or mislead the public, undermining transparency.
What can individuals do to help?
Nost: Advocacy and joining organizations like EDGI can make a difference. Even copying web pages you use regularly onto the Wayback Machine can help preserve critical information for future access.
Check out this related article: Why American Tropical Forests Are Struggling to Adapt to Climate Change: Key Insights and Solutions
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