Scientists breathe new life into climate website

August 30, 2025

Earlier this summer, the Trump administration disrupted access to climate.gov, one of the internet’s most trusted climate information portals, and dismissed its production team. Although the website technically remains online, it has been buried from public view by political appointees now overseeing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

In response, former staff members and climate communication experts are working to resurrect the site’s mission under a new non-profit initiative: climate.us. This effort aims not only to make climate science accessible to the public but also to provide climate services such as helping local governments map flooding risks linked to climate change.

From Climate.gov to Climate.us: anew beginning

The new project is being spearheaded by Rebecca Lindsey, former managing editor of climate.gov. Along with several ex-colleagues, Lindsey is volunteering her time to transform climate.us into a thriving non-profit.

“Many federal employees feel like they’ve lost more than a job—they’ve lost a mission,” said Lindsey. “We weren’t ready to let go of climate.gov or the work it represented.”

In just weeks, the team has received outside legal support, a short-term grant, and donations of web hosting and domain services. A crowdfunding campaign is also being prepared to help secure long-term financial support from foundations.

What Climate.us will offer

The former climate.gov team envisions climate.us as more than just an archive. It will:

• Provide accessible, science-based content to improve climate literacy.
• Assist communities and local governments with planning for climate-related threats such as sea-level rise and extreme weather.
• Use new platforms like TikTok and social media to reach broader audiences, something they were restricted from doing as federal employees.

According to Lindsey, climate.us could become a cornerstone for climate communication, republishing vital content from climate.gov and expanding its reach to a new generation of readers.

Building a non-profit from scratch

Launching climate.us has required the team to move quickly, often without the structure of a traditional 9-to-5 job. Volunteers are handling everything from fundraising logistics to web development.

Despite challenges, Lindsey and her colleagues remain committed:

“By carrying on the legacy of climate.gov, we hope to attract partners who share our mission and ensure that vital climate science remains in public hands,” Lindsey explained.

The political and emotional context

The closure of climate.gov’s public accessibility has been deeply personal for the former team. Lindsey criticized the administration’s decision, noting that taxpayers had already funded the research and resources now being hidden:

“This information belongs to the public. Hiding it is a waste of resources and an abuse of government power,” she told The Guardian.

Team members describe the project as both climate journalism and a moral stand against efforts to suppress science. While they admit to fears of financial instability, they also emphasize that climate change is too urgent to ignore.

“Climate change affects everyone, regardless of politics. Climate science gives us the tools to understand and adapt. That’s why this work must continue,” said one contributor.

looking ahead

For Lindsey and her colleagues, climate.us represents resilience—a refusal to let climate education vanish in the face of political opposition. Their vision is to create a permanent, independent hub for climate knowledge, ensuring that accurate, accessible information continues to guide public understanding and local decision-making.