Ranking Member Lofgren Condemns Elimination of Annual Arctic Report

(Washington, DC) - On Monday, the Trump administration cancelled funding for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s Arctic Report Card. The annual report historically has collected data on the impact of rising ocean temperatures on the arctic's glaciers, fisheries, and shipping routes. Scientists, fishermen, the military, businesses, and indigenous communities alike have come to rely upon the annual report for an accurate assessment of the arctic's environment which has endured the steepest transformation from climate change.

Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) made the following statement:

"Knowing less does not make the problem go away. The Arctic is the Earth's early warning system and with the Arctic warming nearly four times faster than the rest of the planet, the alarm bells are ringing. That's why for two decades, the Arctic Report Card has provided timely peer-reviewed research to help us understand how climate change is altering our environment. Unfortunately, this falls directly in line with this Administration's actions towards science that doesn't fit its political narrative. Covering up the effects of global warming is not a solution. We must continue to fund critical science like the Arctic Report Card to keep track of these dramatic changes so we can protect Americans' lives and property and preserve the environment."

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