Countdown to the closure of the first scientific journals in the United States

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. According to ARA, Environmental Health Perspectives, one of the most important publications on the environment, climate, and health, is about to close its doors because the US government, which until now fully funded it, has withdrawn all funding.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 receive articles. It's very sad." Manolis Kogevinas, from Barcelona Global Health (ISGlobal), said: "The definitive closure of the magazine would represent a new victory for climate denialism, which has been on the rise since Trump returned to the US presidency. has withdrawn from the Paris Agreement and has made a clear commitment to the unlimited exploitation of fossil fuels, which is why they aren't interested in scientists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.

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."