The Trump administration appoints Matthew M. Wielicki to oversee a major federal report focused on climate impacts in the United States, according to reporting from multiple outlets. Wielicki, a former geochemist, has publicly criticized the scientific consensus on global warming, describing mainstream climate science as “alarmist.” The New York Times and The Guardian both report that Wielicki has a record of questioning climate change science through online commentary.
Both outlets also describe Wielicki as lacking formal training in climate science. The Guardian adds that he has been involved in right-leaning media content and portrays himself as an “Earth science professor-in-exile.”
The role involves leadership of the federal government’s Global Change Research Program, which is responsible for producing the government’s flagship climate assessment. The Guardian reports that federal officials have reduced the program’s capacity during the Trump administration’s second term.
Taken together, the reports characterize the appointment as a shift in who leads federal climate reporting and highlight Wielicki’s prior criticisms of climate science.
