WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.) joined Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and 17 other senators in introducing a resolution establishing a sense of the Senate that the National Science Foundation (NSF) should be able to share critical climate science from federal agencies with the public. The resolution follows an unprecedented attack by four Senate Republicans on an NSF grant program that helps to educate TV meteorologists around the country about the science of climate change.
Joining Udall and Whitehouse in introducing the resolution are Senators Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Tom Carper (D-Del.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.).
“Hotter-than-average temperatures, reduced snowpack, more intense wildfires: climate change is real, New Mexico is in the bull’s eye -- and nonpartisan agencies like NSF are crucial to educating the American public about climate change’s effects,” said Udall. “Unfortunately, many big polluters and their climate denier allies want to undermine the validity of peer-reviewed climate science. This resolution reaffirms the Senate’s commitment to science above partisanship, truth above misinformation, and the wellbeing of future generations above the special interests.”
“Americans ought to be able to learn about the science coming out of taxpayer-funded agencies like NASA and NOAA. Those federal scientists are smart enough to put a rover on Mars. They also do vital work tracking our changing climate and preparing our communities for serious threats like severe weather and sea level rise,” said Whitehouse. “The fossil fuel industry holds sway in Congress right now, and that enables attacks like this on sound, peer-reviewed climate science. Our resolution sends a signal that the Senate stands behind our scientists.”
In a letter to the NSF’s Inspector General, the Republicans alleged the agency had shown partisan bias by facilitating the exchange of peer-reviewed information on climate change with television meteorologists. Udall, Whitehouse and their colleagues’ resolution would establish that it “is within the authority and aligned with the mission of the National Science Foundation to provide grants to broadcast meteorologists to improve their understanding of climate change science and ability to communicate climate change science to the public.” It would also resolve that the Senate considers climate change to be real and driven by human activity.
Congress created the NSF “to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; [and] to secure the national defense.” As the senators note in their resolution, any NSF grant award undergoes a rigorous merit review process, including assessment by independent reviewers who have no affiliation with the NSF nor the institution that employs those applying for the funding.
The NSF is one of a vast array of federal agencies, professional and scientific associations, and other highly regarded American research institutions to help disseminate peer-reviewed research on climate change.
Climate change has already caused billions of dollars in damage in the United States, according to the federal government’s watchdog agency the Government Accountability Office. According to the American Meteorological Society, the premier U.S. professional association for meteorologists and others working in atmospheric and related science, Americans will see dramatic shifts in weather as climate change continues, including extreme heat, droughts, and flooding.
Read the senators’ resolution here .
