The Trump administration persists in its efforts to undermine climate-related offices and funding for climate research. Currently, it is focusing on the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii by eliminating financial support for office leases, which would result in a modest annual savings of $150,692. This decision is part of a series of cost-reduction initiatives spearheaded by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is under the supervision of billionaire Elon Musk. The government is contemplating the cancellation of the lease for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) support office located in Hilo. As reported by Reuters, this office is one of over 20 NOAA facilities that may face lease termination due to the administration’s so-called efficiency initiative. The potential closure has raised concerns among climate scientists, who caution that the loss of the Hilo office could hinder essential research on global carbon emissions.
“You need a Hilo office,” stated Ralph Keeling, a climate scientist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in California, during an interview with Reuters. Ralph Keeling is the son of Charles David Keeling, who was instrumental in establishing global carbon dioxide monitoring at Mauna Loa and created the renowned Keeling Curve, which has documented the continuous increase of atmospheric CO₂ for decades. The Mauna Loa Observatory, situated on the northern slope of the Mauna Loa volcano, is considered the origin of global CO₂ monitoring. Staff members in Hilo frequently travel between the town office and the volcanic summits of Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea to collect air samples, which are subsequently sent to NOAA laboratories for analysis. Numerous scientists and politicians have accused the Trump administration of conducting a broader campaign against climate research, as federal agencies retract climate funding and lay off hundreds of NOAA employees.
