The Trump administration sparked concern among climate scientists after hiring three controversial researchers with histories of promoting debunked theories and casting doubt on established science, The New York Times reported. 

"What this says is that the administration has no respect for the actual science, which overwhelmingly points in the direction of a growing crisis as we continue to warm the planet through fossil-fuel burning," Michael Mann, a climate scientist at the University of Pennsylvania, told The Times. 

What's happening?

Known climate deniers Steven E. Koonin, Roy Spencer, and John Christy all appeared on an email list of current Department of Energy employees, according to The Times. 

The trio's apparent involvement with federal energy policy could be defended in the pursuit of a diversity of perspectives, though it came as President Donald Trump's administration has severed ties with hundreds of climate scientists and experts involved in the national climate assessment, PBS reported, fueling speculation of bias against scientists who have come to the conclusion that humans have contributed to increasing global temperatures.

A recent Cornell analysis found that 99.9% of all scientific papers published about the topic in some way have agreed that humans have contributed at least on some level to the planet's increasing temperatures.  

The Trump administration also has undertaken a massive effort to scrub references to climate change, including important datasets, from government websites, according to the National Security Archive at the George Washington University.

Why does it matter which scientists the government hires or fires?

The people who run the government implement policies, set priorities, and make decisions that impact millions of lives based in large part on the information and advice provided to them by government scientists. 

These scientists are relied upon to provide objective, impartial, apolitical advice that reflects the science and not their personal beliefs or political agendas. 

Worryingly, the anti-science credentials of the three apparent new hires have been well-established. 

Koonin, who reportedly has a personal relationship with Energy Secretary Chris Wright, published a book in 2021 with the title, "Unsettled: What Climate Science Tells Us, What It Doesn't And Why It Matters."

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In the headline to its review of Koonin's book, Scientific American stated unequivocally, "A New Book Manages to Get Climate Science Badly Wrong."

Roy Spencer, another of the apparent new DOE hires, works for the University of Alabama in Huntsville as well the right-leaning The Heartland Institute, which The Economist has called, "The world's most prominent think-tank supporting skepticism about man-made climate change." 

According to the Times, Spencer has argued that changes in global cloud cover have had more of an impact on rising temperatures than human causes. 

Finally, apparent new DOE employee John Christy, who has worked with Spencer at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, was called perhaps "the country's best known and most criticized climate change skeptic" by WBHM.

Christy has testified before Congress, misleadingly casting doubt on the connection between carbon-dioxide pollution and rising global temperatures, even stating, "When you think about the carbon dioxide emission going up, which it is … it represents people living longer and better lives," per WBHM. 

To the contrary, the Harvard School of Public Health has found that air pollution from the burning of fossil fuels is responsible for one-in-five premature deaths worldwide.  

What's being done about anti-science researchers in government?

To institute a policy change at the federal level and to put in place an administration that will hire scientists for their scientific acumen and not their political views will likely require waiting until the 2028 presidential election. 

However, there still are ways to make your voice heard and to take meaningful action at the state, local, and community level. 

Regardless of the policies coming out of Washington, individuals can take steps to reduce the amount of heat-trapping pollution they generate. By taking public transit, driving an EV, or installing solar on your home, you can make a tangible difference in the world, regardless of the political leadership.

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