Mapping the Federal Retreat on Climate Action

Community Action & Organizing
Written By Chapter Editors

The Trump administration is rolling back climate science and protections just as climate impacts intensify. Cuts to NOAA threaten weather forecasts and research, a disputed DOE report downplays greenhouse gases, and EPA moves to rescind the Endangerment Finding that underpins U.S. emissions rules. These federal retreats put communities at risk — including here in the Bay Area — but local leaders and residents can step up to defend science and push for action.

 

By Keith Nickolaus, PhD, CRBA Writers Team

Editor’s Note: This post introduces four priority campaigns CRBA is lifting up for the remainder of 2025. From federal climate rollbacks, to building electrification in San Francisco, to stopping risky carbon capture projects, to spotlighting AI’s growing energy demands, these campaigns reflect the challenges — and opportunities — facing our communities right now. Our aim here is to orient readers, share why these issues matter, and invite you to join us in the work ahead.

 

Introduction

The Trump administration is pulling back on federal climate science and regulation even as the climate crisis intensifies. From cuts to NOAA, to a disputed Department of Energy climate report, to a push to rescind the Endangerment Finding, current federal actions could reshape the nation’s ability to respond to climate change, impacting communities across the US, even ours.

How can we respond to this kind of setback?

See the big picture … 

First, let’s find inspiration in the fact that alongside political setbacks here in the US, climate solutions are still proliferating around the world. 

Seize opportunity…

The current crisis in US leadership as an opportunity for states and community-based organizations to respond to the national leadership vacuum by taking more control of the climate narrative, climate organizing, and climate advocacy. For example, Climate.us launched soon after the Trump administration dismantled climate.gov and there are signs of increased activity at the state level.

Keep reading and stay tuned… 

In this blog series on federal rollbacks and local impacts, we want to help CRBA members track the scope of the federal retreat from climate leadership. Why? Because there’s a lot going on, and we want local residents and our members to feel equipped to take action and get more involved.

We look to share with readers what local scientists and civic leaders have to say about the potential impacts of federal rollbacks on our local communities, including what the greatest risks are, how we can best prepare, and what kinds of local action — in specific communities — we should prioritize, understand, and mobilize around.

The CRBA Writers Team pledges to share climate truths you can trust — not noise.

Sharing information grounded in facts, science, reputable media, and cited openly, our work cuts through disinformation to empower our community toward climate action and justice.

Federal Cuts & Local Impacts: Overview

Here are the key federal actions we’re tracking:

1. Cuts to NOAA and NOAA research

2. Concerns about reliability of federal climate reporting 

3. EPA’s move to rescind the 2009 (Obama-era) Endangerment Finding

1. Cuts to NOAA: Weakening the Nation’s Early Warning System

“Science is not just a ‘nice-to-have’ — it’s life-saving.”

— Dr. Lisa Micheli, Bay Area climate scientist (Press Democrat, July 2025)

WHAT’S HAPPENING…

In July 2025, the House Appropriations Committee advanced bills that would reduce NOAA’s budget for fiscal year 2026. The proposed cuts target climate research staff, grant programs, and potentially some regional offices — limiting the agency’s ability to track and respond to extreme weather. NOAA, which oversees the National Weather Service, provides 76 billion forecasts each year and plays a central role in monitoring hurricanes, wildfires, and sea-level rise. With fewer staff and resources, the nation’s early warning system could become slower and less effective just as climate-driven disasters are on the rise.

KEY FACTS

  • Early 2025: NOAA lays off 880 staff — ~7–8% of its workforce — mostly probationary employees.

  • March 2025: Plans for 1,000 more cuts, pushing reductions to nearly 20% of NOAA’s 12,000 workers.

  • FY2026 budget: 27% slash (≈ $1.67B). Near-elimination of the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research.

  • Biggest hits: Climate labs (e.g. Boulder, CO), regional climate data centers, cooperative institutes, and climate-research grants.

  • An independent nonprofit Climate.us website was launched in September 2025 in the wake of Trump administration dismantling of climate.gov.

LOCAL ANGLE

  • Six NOAA staff cut — 3 from Weather Service, 3 from Fisheries. Scientists worked on coastal modeling, fisheries, and environmental tracking.

  • Central & Northern California Ocean Observing System (≈ $3.3M/yr). Runs instruments for winds, currents, water levels — key for forecasts and business operations.

2. DOE’s July 30 Climate Report: Disputed and Discredited


“The evidence for current and future harm to human health and welfare created by human-caused GHGs is beyond scientific dispute.”

— National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

WHAT’S HAPPENING…

On July 30, 2025, the Department of Energy (DOE) released a climate report “titled ‘A Critical Review of Impacts of Greenhouse Gas Emissions on the U.S. Climate’ … after the White House dismissed more than 400 scientists working on the sixth National Climate Assessment and shut down the website that housed the previous assessments” (LA Times, 9/3/2025). 

The DOE report quickly drew sharp criticism, for downplaying the role of human emissions in driving dangerous warming and for directly contradicting decades of established science. 

KEY FACTS

  • The July 30 DOE report: DOE “climate report” downplays greenhouse gases (July 30, 2025)

  • Who wrote the DOE report? Five DOE-appointed scientists, no peer review.

  • Claims in DOE report: Warming less harmful than thought; aggressive mitigation may hurt economy.

  • Immediate backlash: 

    • Within days, 85 scientists signed a public letter condemning the DOE report, calling it “biased and error-filled.”

    • In mid-August, The National Academies also responded to the DOE report with their own publication (Effects of Human-Caused Greenhouse Gas Emissions on U.S. Climate, Health, and Welfare), reaffirming that climate harms are “beyond scientific dispute.”


In summary, the Trump DOE’s July 30 report now stands in direct conflict with the 2023 U.S. National Climate Assessment, which confirmed human-driven emissions as the primary driver of warmin

LOCAL ANGLE

  • Bay Area researchers, including climate scientists at UC Berkeley and Stanford, were among the 85+ signatories condemning the DOE report, underscoring the region’s scientific leadership.

  • Without credible federal climate assessments, Bay Area planners lose vital data needed for wildfire risk, sea-level rise projections, and heatwave response.

  • Local advocates warn that the DOE’s misleading report could undermine California’s climate policies, which rely on sound federal science for legal and regulatory backing.

3. EPA Moves to Rescind the Endangerment Finding

“The endangerment finding is the foundation for regulation of greenhouse gases at the federal level.”

— Stanford environmental scientist Chris Field (Stanford Report, 9/19/2025)

WHAT’S HAPPENING…

On July 29, 2025, the EPA, under Administrator Lee Zeldin, formally proposed rescinding the 2009 Endangerment Finding, the landmark determination that greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare. This move strikes at the legal basis for federal emissions limits on vehicles, power plants, and other major sources of climate pollution. EPA officials argue that the Clean Air Act does not authorize greenhouse gas regulation based on global climate harms, and they claim scientific uncertainties remain larger than previously understood. The proposal has triggered immediate legal, political, and scientific pushback.

KEY FACTS

  • The 2009 Endangerment Finding identified six well-mixed greenhouse gases (CO₂, methane, nitrous oxide, HFCs, PFCs, SF₆) as threats under Section 202(a) of the Clean Air Act.

  • EPA’s repeal effort would roll back all federal GHG standards for motor vehicles and engines linked to the Endangerment Finding.

  • Public comment period open; deadline extended to Sept 22, 2025.

    LOCAL ANGLE

  • California, led by AG Bonta, has mobilized against the repeal, joined by Bay Area cities including San Francisco and Oakland.

  • Rolling back vehicle emissions standards could worsen local air quality, compounding wildfire smoke impacts and raising asthma risks in frontline Bay Area communities.

What You Can Do

Make it stand out

  • Join our SF Bay Area Chapter — Become an informed climate activist and get connected with others, to amplify your voice and impact.

  • Join one of our Policy Action Teams — be part of the conversations and actions shaping local climate policy.Learn more about how to get involved with our work — and find how to use your unique gifts and skills for the planet.

  • Subscribe to Our Newsletter — stay connected and don’t miss out on events, gatherings, or actions.

Closing

Federal climate science is under attack — but the truth remains clear, and our collective voice matters. By staying informed and standing with scientists, Bay Area communities can defend facts, protect lives, and build resilience for the future.

JOIN US!

Author Bio

Keith Nickolaus is a communications professional and former educator based in Berkeley. As leader of the CRBA Writers Team, he works to amplify community voices and is passionate about informing and inspiring climate action across the Bay Area.


Sources

Chapter Editors
Next

Seizing the Mantle in 2025: Turning Climate Setbacks Into Climate Action