The Biden administration has removed Trump-appointed atmospheric scientist Betsy Weatherhead from her role as overseer of a comprehensive report on how climate change is affecting the U.S., the Washington Post first reported Monday.
Why it matters: Weatherhead was not fired – merely assigned to the U.S. geological survey – the move represents an attempt by the Biden government to remove Trump-era nominations from scientific roles, according to CNN.
Remarkable: The move could cause further delays in the next issue of the National Climate Assessment, which, according to Congress, is compiled every four years.
The whole picture: Weatherhead’s original appointment to the position in November came as a surprise because she is a mainstream climate scientist and whose work reflects that climate change is a serious threat – unlike some other Trump appointments.
- Weatherhead, however, allegedly clashed with some of the other officials involved over the ‘direction of the report’, according to the Post.
What they say: Jane Lubchenco, a top White House climate official who ultimately oversees Weatherhead in her position, said in an interview with Axios on Monday that the White House is committed to delivering a ‘robust’ and ‘effective’ assessment.
- ‘All I can really say is that the details of Dr. Weatherhead concludes that she is returning to USGS, her home agency, ‘Lubchenco, who serves as Deputy Director for Climate and Environment at the Office of Scientific and Technological Policy. said. “We are very grateful to her for her service.”
- Lubchenco has left open the possibility that the next assessment, currently available in 2023, may be subject to further delays. “We will do everything possible to meet the schedule, but I think it has yet to be seen,” she said.
Flash back: The latest climate assessment, published in 2018, warned that climate impacts on the US are increasingly damaging, increasing the possibility of serious economic damage in the coming decades.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated with comments from Lubchenco.