"Let Us Walk Blindfolded And Not Gather Any Information" - Shitstain Ends Funding For Ice Data, Science @ NSIDC

[hatrack]

Key datasets used to monitor the impacts of climate change in the Arctic have emerged as the latest victim of cost-cutting by the Trump administration at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), based at the University of Colorado Boulder, announced Tuesday that NOAA was ending its support for data products that document the extent and thickness of sea ice, the accumulation of snow and the retreat of melting glaciers. “As a result, the level of services for affected products below will be reduced to Basic—meaning they will remain accessible but may not be actively maintained, updated, or fully supported,” the center noted.

This blindsided scientists who use the NSIDC’s data. “That’s incredible. Let us walk blindfolded and not gather any information about our surroundings,” said Eric Rignot, a glaciologist at the University of California, Irvine, when informed of the decision by Inside Climate News. For now, the NSIDC datasets are not disappearing. Some are updated by automated data feeds—for sea ice, the data comes from orbiting satellites. But without ongoing support from NOAA, any technical glitches will take longer to fix, and the NSIDC will struggle to support any users who need help. “This change in support limits our ability to respond quickly to user inquiries, resolve issues, or maintain these products as thoroughly as before,” the NSIDC said in a statement emailed to Inside Climate News.

The center is now calling on scientists, educators and others who use the data to help show why it is valuable. “If you rely on these products in your work, research, education, or planning, we invite you to share your story at [e-mail],” the announcement pleaded. “Your input can help us demonstrate the importance of these data sets and advocate for future support.”

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“It’s also used for weather and climate prediction, supporting Alaskan communities, guiding shipping and economic activities, informing fisheries management, protecting marine ecosystems, and underpins countless other Arctic geopolitical and security decision-making needs,” said Zack Labe, a climate scientist who regularly posts online visualizations of the threatened datasets. “Any reduction or elimination of these data product services will have significant consequences, well beyond just tracking the state of sea-ice loss.” Given its widespread use, NOAA’s decision to decommission the Sea Ice Index shocked NSIDC staff. But the budget cuts being demanded of the agency have forced NOAA into difficult decisions. “With the cuts that have to be made, there’s just not a lot of wiggle room,” said Ann Windnagel, program manager for the NOAA collection at the NSIDC.

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https://insideclimatenews.org/news/07052025/trump-administration-cuts-sea-ice-data-center/

[wendyb-NC]

1. Yeah right

Even if you don't keep track the changes, they are still going on, and the loss is everyone's.