From his first term, Trump made no secret of his dislike for science-focused federal agencies, especially the EPA. Climate change? He, and his like-minded allies, see it as another hoax to bolster regulation that constrains profits. So, it’s no wonder that the Trump-appointed administrator is rolling back or changing 31 rules and regulations. According to CBS News, “Some of these changes include revisions of national air quality standards for particulate matter, emission standards for industrial air pollutants, and regulations restricting vehicle emissions.” It should be noted that various polls show that the majority of Americans support these environmental protections, but that doesn’t matter anymore. Thanks to DOGE, the EPA, along with other federal agencies, is being gutted—staff reductions, budget cuts, and the elimination of entire research divisions have left these agencies unable to fulfill their mandates. With no financial recourse to hire, some agencies are turning to—us.
Citizen science efforts, once a valuable complement to federal environmental research, are now becoming a desperate necessity. In Reno, Nevada, volunteers armed with temperature sensors are mapping the city’s extreme heat disparities—because the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and other agencies tasked with monitoring climate impacts simply don’t have the resources they once did. Reno is now the fastest-warming city in the U.S., experiencing a staggering 7.6-degree temperature increase since 1970, nearly three times the national average. Yet, rather than invest in research and climate mitigation, the Trump administration has stripped away funding and erased tools like the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool, which helped identify vulnerable communities most in need of relief.
Heat mapping projects like the one in Reno are filling the void, helping cities pinpoint the most vulnerable areas where tree canopies are lacking, where reflective surfaces could lower temperatures, and where overheating is putting lives at risk. But let’s be clear: these efforts are occurring not because of government leadership, but in spite of it. Volunteers are doing work that federal scientists should be leading—work that saves lives and helps communities prepare for the extreme weather events that climate change is making worse.
Trump’s anti-science agenda is not just about cutting regulations—it’s about removing the ability to collect data, study environmental threats, and act before disasters strike. Whether it’s dismantling climate research programs, removing air pollution standards, or ignoring urban heat crises, this administration’s war on science is not just reckless—it’s endangering lives. And now, with critical research responsibilities falling on volunteers, the government’s abdication of responsibility is clearer than ever. The question is, how many more crises will it take before we demand that scientific expertise be restored to the institutions that were built to protect us? Go beyond the headlines…
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