Ex-NOAA Employees Rebuild Climate Data Hub After Trump Administration Closure
Ex NOAA employees re create a valuable – In a significant development for climate research and public access, a new climate information platform has emerged to replace a government site that was shuttered by the Trump administration. Launched this week, Climate.us serves as a critical resource for scientists, educators, farmers, and the general public, filling a gap left by the closure of the former Climate.gov website. The site’s creation is a testament to the dedication of former National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) employees who sought to preserve vital climate data and analysis for the broader community.
The Closure of a Key Climate Resource
The demise of Climate.gov marked a turning point in U.S. climate communication. Once a cornerstone of reliable climate data, the site was abruptly discontinued in 2025 as part of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative aimed at reducing federal spending. Despite its closure, the data it housed remains accessible through government servers, though users now face considerable difficulty navigating to it. According to Rebecca Lindsey, a former program director at Climate.gov who now leads the Climate.us project, the shutdown left a void that needed immediate attention.
“This information is too important. It should remain in a protected place,” Lindsey emphasized in a recent statement. The challenge became even more urgent when the government’s climate website, which had served as a central hub for scientific resources, was effectively transformed into a less user-friendly platform. When NPR inquired about the changes, NOAA Communications Director Kim Doster responded with a standard message: “In compliance with Executive Order 14303… Future research products previously housed under Climate.gov will be available at NOAA.gov/climate and its affiliate websites.” Lindsey criticized this shift, calling it an example of the administration’s approach to climate data — “renovating a store and opening the front door into a closet.”
A Grassroots Effort to Restore Access
Rebuilding the site required not only technical expertise but also a commitment to maintaining its original purpose. Lindsey and her team of former NOAA employees, including two additional colleagues who had managed the government platform, embarked on this task in August 2025. Their goal was to recreate the comprehensive features of Climate.gov, which had served millions of users each month. As of 2021, the site attracted nearly a million visitors, underscoring its importance as a trusted source for climate insights.
The project’s financial foundation was built through crowdfunding, with Lindsey’s team securing approximately $280,000 from public contributions. This funding allowed them to address the technical challenges of the new site, including the development of a search function that replaced the outdated system on the old government site. “The technical issues were more challenging than the content issues,” Lindsey noted, highlighting the effort required to replicate the functionality of the former platform.
Support for the initiative extended beyond financial backing. Volunteers, including around 80 scientists, were recruited to serve on a science panel and act as subject-matter experts to ensure the accuracy of the information shared on Climate.us. The site also received a one-time grant from an anonymous donor, which Lindsey said will sustain the project until at least February 2027. This collaborative approach reflects the broader community’s recognition of the site’s value and the urgency of preserving climate data in the face of bureaucratic changes.
Restoring Context and Analysis
Climate.gov was more than just a repository for raw data — it was a vital tool for contextualizing climate trends and their implications. “Climate.gov was considered a ‘flagship’ source and ‘hugely important’ not only for data but for providing analysis and understanding of its significance,” explained Gretchen Gehrke, a science communicator at the Environmental Data & Governance Initiative (EDGI). The site’s closure disrupted this balance, making it harder for the public and policymakers to grasp the broader impacts of climate change.
Katharine Hayhoe, a climate scientist at Texas Tech University, echoed this sentiment. She frequently relied on Climate.gov for its clarity and accessibility, which made complex climate information understandable to a wide audience. “The site’s disappearance made it harder for people to access trustworthy climate change information,” Hayhoe said. The new Climate.us site, however, aims to bridge this divide by offering the same depth of content while improving its usability.
One of the site’s key features is the recreation of the old government website’s “climate dashboard,” which featured over a dozen key graphs illustrating climate trends. It also incorporates a 15-year collection of climate news, expert blogs, visual status reports on critical indicators, maps, data pathways, and educational materials tailored for classrooms. These elements ensure that the new platform not only replicates the functionality of the old site but also enhances its reach and utility.
The Impact of DOGE on Climate Expertise
The closure of Climate.gov under DOGE’s budget-cutting measures had a ripple effect on climate expertise. As government staff were laid off, many of the site’s creators and maintainers left the agency, leading to a significant brain drain. This exodus, Gehrke argued, has empowered external groups to step in and create more accessible climate resources. “Now we have a lot of expertise outside of the government because of so much brain drain,” she said. “We can really stand up things. We can have powerful interventions, and [Climate.us], I think, is a success story of that.”
Hayhoe added that the site’s revival is crucial for maintaining public engagement with climate science. “Researchers have identified that public education and understanding of not just what’s happening, but why it matters and how it affects us, is essential,” she said. Climate.us addresses this need by presenting climate data in a way that connects global trends to local realities, making it easier for individuals to see the relevance of climate science in their daily lives.
The effort to recreate Climate.gov has also demonstrated the resilience of the climate science community. Despite the challenges posed by the Trump administration’s actions, former NOAA employees have shown that it is possible to restore a valuable public resource through collective action. As Lindsey noted, the editorial philosophy of Climate.us remains unchanged — focusing on factual accuracy and transparency. “Climate.gov was never about — and Climate.us will never be about — anything other than the facts,” she stated, emphasizing the site’s commitment to neutrality and reliability.
The launch of Climate.us represents more than just a technical achievement; it symbolizes a renewed effort to ensure that climate information remains accessible to all. With the support of volunteers and the public, the site has become a lifeline for those seeking trustworthy data in an era of political shifts and budget constraints. As the project continues to grow, it stands as a powerful reminder of the importance of preserving scientific knowledge and making it available to the communities that depend on it.
Ultimately, the success of Climate.us hinges on its ability to maintain the same level of credibility and comprehensiveness as the original site. By focusing on the facts and avoiding partisan messaging, the team hopes to restore public confidence in climate science and provide a reliable alternative to government-hosted platforms. As the site becomes more established, its role in the climate information landscape is likely to expand, offering a lasting contribution to the fight against climate change.
