By Paul Roberts / For The Herald
Scientific research is a cornerstone of the U.S. economy.
It is among the most productive actions that can be taken to grow the economy and protect the environment. The return on investment is estimated between 30 percent and 100 percent. What is more, the creation of new wealth in an innovation-driven economy requires the development of new ideas to solve problems with technology and ingenuity.
The U.S. leads the world in scientific research investment and innovation, including roughly $160 billion each year on basic and applied research. That is now changing.
The Trump administration and Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency team are cutting funds from virtually all science-based government operations including: the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Institute of Health (NIH), Center for Disease Control (CDC), Department of Energy (DOE), Health and Human Services (HHS), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); as well as institutions of higher education across the nation, including the University of Washington and Washington State University.
According to the Economist Magazine: “The scale of the cuts and the manner in which they are being introduced could seriously damage American science and America’s global leadership.”
Basic scientific research in the U.S. was dramatically expanded during the Second World War. In addition to new scientific discoveries in all disciplines, these efforts produced lasting partnerships among government agencies, universities, private foundations and industry. They led to the creation of institutions such as the National Science Foundation and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
After the war, investments in science research increased, supporting all manner of private and public efforts dramatically expanding our knowledge base, the economy, understanding of human health, and the environment.
Examples of advancements in environmental science include measuring carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from Scripps studies in the 1950s and ’60s. Dr. Roger Revelle, the former director at Scripps, raised the prospect that by the 21st century the greenhouse gas effect might exert “a violent effect on the earth’s climate.” Dr. Charles Keeling, also with Scripps, measured increasing carbon dioxide levels in Earth’s atmosphere. The “Keeling Curve” is considered a defining moment in linking human caused global warming and climate change.
Climate science has evolved and expanded, addressing mitigation, adaptation, impacts and risks. In the Pacific Northwest, a vast array of climate impacts are occurring and increasing including heat, wildfires, floods, drought and reductions in snowpack and water supply.
Local examples of critical ongoing science include NOAA and the National Weather Service (NWS) providing data essential for managing snowpack, water supply, river flows and flooding. This information is also critical for fisheries management involving Tribal communities and commercial fisheries. Weather data is critical for aviation and agricultural purposes as well.
NOAA and NWS data are a mainstay for severe weather and emergency management. Based on this timely information, local jurisdictions, utilities and communities can prepare for severe weather and reduce risks to life and property.
American science research is arguably the strongest in the world. Withdrawing from scientific efforts will affect other countries that rely on the U.S. for basic research in health, weather, climate projections and more. It will open the door for others, in particular the Chinese, to fill the vacuum.
Today, America’s 80-year global leadership in climate science is being sacrificed to fight a misguided culture war. It’s bad economic and environmental policy.
Project 2025 described NOAA as a major player in the “climate change alarm industry.” EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin stated that the (Trump) administration is “driving a dagger through the heart of climate-change religion.” Ironically, it is the Trump administration that is blindly worshiping the fossil fuel industry, willfully ignoring the effects and consequences of burning fossil fuels, releasing greenhouse gases, warming the planet and destabilizing the atmosphere.
Planetary physics, chemistry and biology are not belief systems. They operate independent of politics and religion. Science helps us better understand and respond to a changing climate with mitigation and adaptation strategies.
The impacts of climate change — extreme heat, fires, floods, drought, sea-level rise — are increasing in frequency, intensity and cost. Earth Day is an opportunity to reflect on actions to reduce GHG emissions and turn down the heat. Basic science helps us see where the levers are to reduce emissions and prepare for impacts.
Without it we are blind.
Paul Roberts is retired and lives in Everett. His career spans over five decades in infrastructure, economics and environmental policy including advising Washington cities on climate change and past chair of the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency Board of Directors.
Eco-nomics
“Eco-nomics” is a series of articles exploring issues at the intersection of climate change and economics. Climate change (global warming) is caused by greenhouse gas emissions — carbon dioxide and methane chiefly — generated by human activities, primarily burning fossil fuels and agricultural practices. Global warming poses an existential threat to the planet. Successfully responding to this threat requires urgent actions — clear plans and actionable strategies — to rapidly reduce GHG emissions and adapt to climate-influenced events.
The Eco-nomics series focuses on mitigation and adaptation strategies viewed through the twin perspectives of science and economics. Find links to the series thus far at tinyurl.com/HeraldEco-nomics.
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