Former Federal Employees Create Independent Climate Information Website After Job Cuts
前聯邦僱員在裁員後建立獨立氣候資訊網站
Introduction
Former United States government employees have launched Climate.us, a non-profit digital platform. This site is designed to save and expand the scientific data that was previously hosted by the government.
前美國政府僱員推出了一個非營利數位平台 Climate.us。該網站旨在保存並擴展先前由政府託管的科學數據。
Main Body
Climate.us was created because Climate.gov, a resource managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), was shut down. After the 2025 inauguration of the Trump administration, the original site was moved to a different NOAA portal under new government rules regarding 'Gold Standard Science.' This change happened alongside a large decrease in the federal scientific workforce. According to data from the Partnership for Public Service, there was a 12% reduction in total federal staff, and science agencies lost about 40% of their employees. Specifically, 118,000 positions were cut between September 2024 and February 2026, including 10,000 experts with advanced degrees in science and health.
Climate.us 之所以成立，是因為由美國國家海洋及大氣管理局 (NOAA) 管理的資源網站 Climate.gov 被關閉了。在 2025 年川普政府就職後，原網站根據關於「金標準科學」的新政府規則，被移至另一個 NOAA 門戶網站。這次變動與聯邦科學勞動力的大幅減少同時發生。根據公共服務夥伴關係 (Partnership for Public Service) 的數據，聯邦員工總數減少了 12%，而科學機構則失去了約 40% 的員工。具體而言，在 2024 年 9 月至 2026 年 2 月之間，共削減了 118,000 個職位，其中包括 10,000 名擁有科學和健康高級學位的專家。
There is a clear disagreement between government policy and scientific experts. The administration has prioritized the fossil fuel industry and proposed a $1.6 billion budget cut for NOAA. On the other hand, representatives from the Union of Concerned Scientists and former officials, such as Rebecca Lindsey, asserted that these measures cause a 'brain drain.' Furthermore, a poll by Nature suggested that 75% of 1,600 surveyed scientists are considering working in other countries. Experts emphasize that this loss of knowledge makes communities more vulnerable to extreme weather and environmental pollution.
政府政策與科學專家之間存在明顯分歧。政府將化石燃料工業列為優先，並提議削減 NOAA 16 億美元的預算。另一方面，關注科學家聯盟 (Union of Concerned Scientists) 的代表與前官員（如 Rebecca Lindsey）聲稱，這些措施導致了「人才流失」。此外，《自然》(Nature) 雜誌的一項民調顯示，在 1,600 名受訪科學家中，有 75% 正在考慮在其他國家工作。專家強調，知識的流失使得社區在面對極端天氣和環境污染時更加脆弱。
To prevent the loss of this research, former administrators and volunteers used the fact that government materials are not protected by copyright to rebuild the Climate.gov archives. Consequently, Climate.us now operates as a non-profit organization funded by small donations from around the world. In addition to restoring fifteen years of climate data, the organization plans to provide a long-term public service that includes verified data charts and educational tools.
為了防止研究數據流失，前行政人員與志願者利用政府資料不受版權保護的事實，重建了 Climate.gov 的存檔。因此，Climate.us 現在作為一個由全球小額捐款資助的非營利組織運作。除了恢復 15 年的氣候數據外，該組織計劃提供長期的公共服務，包括經過驗證的數據圖表與教育工具。
Conclusion
Climate.us now serves as a private alternative to the closed federal climate resources during a period of reduced public funding for science in the U.S.
在美國公共科學資金減少的時期，Climate.us 現在成為了一個取代被關閉的聯邦氣候資源的私人替代方案。
Vocabulary Learning
The 'B2 Bridge': Moving from Simple to Sophisticated Connections
At the A2 level, you likely use and, but, and because to connect your ideas. To reach B2, you need to use Logical Connectors (Transition Words) that show a complex relationship between two ideas.
Look at these patterns from the text:
1. The 'Contrast' Shift Instead of saying "The government wants fossil fuels, but scientists disagree," the text uses:
"On the other hand, representatives... asserted..."
B2 Upgrade: Use On the other hand when you are comparing two completely different points of view. It signals to the listener that you are now presenting the opposite side of the argument.
2. The 'Result' Chain Instead of saying "The site was gone, so they made a new one," the text uses:
"Consequently, Climate.us now operates as a non-profit..."
B2 Upgrade: Use Consequently when one action is the direct mathematical result of another. It sounds more professional and academic than so.
3. Adding Evidence Instead of repeating "Also," the text uses:
"Furthermore, a poll by Nature suggested..."
B2 Upgrade: Use Furthermore when you have already made a point and you want to add a stronger piece of evidence to convince the reader.
Quick Reference Map for your transition:
| A2 Word (Simple) | B2 Word (Sophisticated) | Function |
|---|---|---|
| But | On the other hand | Contrasting opinions |
| So | Consequently | Showing a result |
| Also | Furthermore | Adding more weight to a point |