Trump Administration Shutters Climate.gov; Staff Launch New Site

The Trump administration officially shut down Climate.gov, a key website for public climate information managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), in 2025. This site, which had been operational for 15 years since its launch during President Obama's first term, provided accessible updates on NOAA's climate research, accompanied by charts and graphics. The closure involved disbanding the entire staff through layoffs and non-renewal of contracts, with the website's URL now redirecting to the main NOAA.gov domain. A statement on the site dated June 24, 2025, indicated the redirect was in compliance with an executive order and White House policies, and that future research products would be relocated to NOAA.gov/climate and related sites. Observers have characterized the closure of Climate.gov as part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to downplay or obscure scientific information, particularly concerning climate change. This action followed broader cuts to NOAA and the National Weather Service, which have reportedly created gaps in weather data collection. Earlier in the summer of 2025, the Department of Energy reportedly deleted over 1,600 pages related to energy efficiency and utility bill savings, a move that occurred during a period of intense heatwaves straining power grids. These deletions and cuts to federal surveillance programs, which typically track food-borne illnesses, have been linked to a delayed response to a cyclospora outbreak. The federal government, once a central hub for scientific research, is now described as having become a "black hole" for such information. However, a new initiative has emerged to counter this trend. In August 2025, a group of former Climate.gov staffers initiated a crowdfunding campaign with the goal of reviving the archives and continuing the work of the defunct website under a new name: Climate.us. This effort was spearheaded by Rebecca Lindsey, who had served as the program manager and editorial lead for Climate.gov. The crowdfunding campaign successfully raised $530,000 over a six-month period, demonstrating public support for accessible climate data. The new Climate.us aims to fill the void left by the closure of the official government site, providing a platform for climate science communication and research dissemination.