US Climate Researcher: “We Are at a Tipping Point”

Zack Labe is a climate researcher who, until recently, worked at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). 

He worked at NOAA’s Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, where he worked on a wide range of topics aiming to understand climate change versus natural variability better. He says the work included using new AI and machine learning approaches to predict extreme weather events to give communities early warning and find ways to communicate this information. 

The NOAA was massively hit by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), spearheaded by Elon Musk, earlier this year. This was part of the government’s efforts to reduce the number of federal workers.

The majority of the dismissed federal workers were probationary employees. Tens of thousands were fired in a sweeping cut across the nation earlier this year. While some have been reinstated following court orders, the situation remains uncertain for many, as the US government continues looking for ways to slash costs. 

Labe says he and all other probationary workers at NOAA received their notice at the end of February. When asked what reasons were provided for their dismissal, he says that they were all given a blanket statement.

“Essentially, everyone was given the same reason, which was something very ambiguous, like ‘Your research did not meet the interest of the public anymore,’” says the climate researcher.

Leading up to the termination, he and his colleagues received many confusing e-mails at strange hours of the day, making them feel unwelcome.

“They seemed to encourage people to resign or leave their positions. It made it feel like there was a lack of certainty in the work environment.”