Trump's climate denialism also threatens prestigious scientific journals

BarcelonaThe Donald Trump administration is tightening its grip on science with a new withdrawal of funding. First, it suspended support for research projects, cut subsidies to scientific institutions, and censored lines of research related to, for example, climate change, which has pushed many scientists to look for a professional outlet outside the countryNow it's the turn of specialized journals, which are essential for researchers around the world to share their new knowledge and stay up-to-date with the latest discoveries. The first time was against health, climate, and environmental information: according to ARA, Environmental Health Perspectives, one of the most important publications in this field, is about to close its doors because the US government, which until now fully funded it, has withdrawn all its funding.

Without funding, a four-month countdown begins to find a solution and save the magazine. SinceEnvironmental Health Perspectives They are negotiating with the United States government, which owns it, to transfer it to a private company willing to finance it. If they don't succeed, they will have to close after the summer. "We have already announced that we can no longer accept articles. It's very sad. It's a journal with more than 50 years of history and one of the best in the world on climate and health," laments Manolis Kogevinas, deputy editor and researcher at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal).

The final closure of the journal would represent a new victory for climate denialism, which has been on the rise since Trump returned to the US presidency. In just a few months has withdrawn from the Paris Agreement and has made a clear commitment to the unlimited exploitation of fossil fuels, which is why it's not interested in scientists researching the effects of climate change on human health. "For them, it's a dangerous journal," says Kogevinas, adding that if they can't study the climate crisis, they can't guarantee the journal's independence.

Scientific data at risk of disappearing

The scientific impact of Trump's return goes beyond the exodus of workers, the cuts in research, and the closure of journals. The situation around the world is also one of concern and uncertainty regarding shared projects with US centers and the scientific information from large US databases used daily by hundreds of researchers. Losing access to this information would change the paradigm of science as we understand it today. The ARA has already reported on the issue. outcry of Catalan researchers They are calling for European databases to be strengthened to ensure they can continue working even if the worst fears finally come true and they cannot access information from across the Atlantic as they have done until now.

Now several German research institutes have joined forces to save scientific data that they fear could be suppressed or stopped working by order of the Trump administration, according to the magazineNatureSpecifically, they are working with the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to back up the databases at risk. Europe also has centers with a wealth of scientific information available to researchers, but they are not used as much as those in the United States, as the latter are more comprehensive, have better algorithms, and make work easier. That's why scientists around the world cried foul at the possibility of losing access.

In fact, this merger of German centers was born out of a flood of distress calls from members of the scientific community and NOAA staff, who monitor the Earth's atmosphere and climate and offer weather forecasting services. Faced with the threat of losing vital information for continuing to generate knowledge, they requested that access to this data be guaranteed with a copy. Furthermore, experts believe that more resources should be allocated to European databases so that researchers can work as well as they have until now if a data blackout from the US eventually occurs.

Threats to "scientific integrity"

The Sphera consortium, a European network of leading research institutions in the fields of environment, climate change, economics, social sciences, and global health, has issued a statement signed by more than 300 scientists denouncing "the growing threats to scientific integrity and freedom of research." Kogevinas is also the coordinator of this consortium, which warns of the "politicization of scientific research, the suppression of critical data, and the withdrawal of funding for essential research programs."

Therefore, Sphera calls for the defense of scientific freedom and the protection of the role of science in public decision-making. They also warn that ceasing to research climate and public health "is part of a broader pattern of restricting scientific discourse, which disproportionately harms vulnerable populations, weakens democratic institutions, and exacerbates global inequalities."