Protecting Climate Data: A Battle Against Digital Erasure

The Vanishing Act of Climate Information

In the digital age, information can seem eternal. But the truth is, online data is as fragile as the political will to maintain it. The recent efforts of the second Trump administration to dismantle scientific agencies and their online presence highlight this vulnerability. From public health to climate science, crucial data and websites are disappearing, leaving a void in public access to vital information.

Why Government Data Matters

Government websites and data are the bedrock of innovation, research, and daily life. Climate scientists rely on NASA and NOAA data to understand our changing planet. Researchers combine this information with census data to analyze the social impacts of climate change. And everyday citizens depend on the EPA website for crucial information about environmental hazards and governmental responses.

Restricting access to this data hampers the work of scientists, policymakers, and the public alike. State governments often rely on federal data for their environmental and public health programs. Moreover, access to information is essential for public participation in democratic processes like regulatory changes.

Removing information erodes public trust in both government and science. Years of data collection and analysis are undermined when access is restricted, depriving everyone of critical knowledge about our world.

Data Under Attack: A New Era of Information Suppression

While the first Trump administration primarily focused on removing mentions of climate change from websites, the second administration has adopted a more aggressive approach. The rapid and widespread removal of data and tools raises serious concerns about the future of public access to climate information.

Archiving the Evidence: A Race Against Time

Groups like the Public Environmental Data Partners are working tirelessly to archive crucial climate datasets, creating backups and catalogs to ensure continued access. This digital preservation effort aims to safeguard the information that government agencies are actively trying to suppress.

The Disappearance of Vital Tools

Beyond raw data, user-friendly tools for understanding climate change are also vanishing. The Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool, which mapped vulnerable communities at risk from climate change, was taken offline. Though the underlying data might still exist somewhere, accessing it has become significantly harder.

Fortunately, the open-source nature of the tool allowed for its reconstruction, demonstrating the power of collaborative preservation efforts.

Lost in the Digital Void: Vanishing Webpages

Entire webpages, like the Department of Transportation's Climate Change Center, have vanished. Others, like the EPA's climate change pages, remain but are buried deeper within the website, making them harder to find. This digital sleight of hand effectively hides vital information from the public eye.

Preserving the Past: The Wayback Machine

The Internet Archive's Wayback Machine, thanks to organizations like the End of Term Web Archive, offers a glimpse into the past, preserving snapshots of government websites. This digital time capsule allows users to compare current webpages with previous versions, revealing changes and deletions over time.

Taking Action: Protecting Public Access to Data

You can join the fight to protect climate data. Explore archived datasets and tools on the Public Environmental Data Partners website. Utilize resources like the MIT Libraries checklist for safeguarding federal data. Every action, big or small, contributes to preserving access to this crucial information.

The Future of Climate Knowledge: A Call to Action

The extent of the administration's efforts to suppress climate information remains uncertain. However, legal challenges, like the successful lawsuit against the CDC for removing public health resources, offer a glimmer of hope. The ongoing battle to preserve climate data highlights the critical importance of transparent and accessible government information for an informed and empowered public.

While archiving is crucial, it's no substitute for robust government research infrastructure. We must defend these vital institutions to ensure the continued production and dissemination of climate data, empowering individuals and communities to face the challenges of a changing climate.