Science under siege: US data cuts hit climate models amid a misinformation storm
Australian climate scientists warn US funding cuts threaten Australia’s weather forecasting and climate modelling.
Associate Professor Ailie Gallant, from the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Weather of the 21st Century, told the Senate inquiry looking into misinformation and disinformation on climate and energy, that key US data sets have stopped updating since the Trump administration.
She said gaps in satellite and sea-surface temperature data affect daily forecasts, seasonal outlooks, and long-term climate projections.
Job losses and program closures at NASA and NOAA risk reducing global access to crucial climate information.
Gallant stressed that lost satellite data cannot be quickly replaced, warning, “Once a satellite is down, it’s down.”
The ARC Centre submission to the Senate inquiry links these technical challenges to a rise in climate misinformation, which erodes trust in Australian institutions.
False narratives and attacks on scientists are spreading online, sometimes adapted from overseas disinformation campaigns.
Gallant reported personal experiences of bullying and harassment by anti-science actors, calling it a growing occupational hazard.
The Centre urges bipartisan support, independent funding, and safeguards for agencies like the Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO.
Reduced data access and public trust increase uncertainty, making Australia less prepared for floods, droughts, and heatwaves.