Layoffs impacting climate research

NASA has announced the first wave of layoffs, including among its top scientists, following drastic funding cuts imposed by the Trump administration. Among those laid off is Katherine Calvin, a chief scientist and climate advisor known for her contributions to UN climate change reports. In total, 23 employees at the US space agency have already been laid off, and NASA officials have said more job cuts are to follow.

Calvin, appointed in 2022 by former President Joe Biden, has played a key role in climate change studies. Her dismissal comes after she and several other American scientists were prevented from attending a UN climate expert meeting in China in late February. NASA, which operates a vast network of Earth-monitoring satellites, provides critical data on the environment and climate. Budget cuts imposed by the White House could seriously affect those efforts.

• A controversial restructuring plan

NASA spokeswoman Cheryl Warner said the space agency was beginning a gradual process of staff reductions, called a "Reduction in Force" (RIF). Affected employees have the option of early retirement, if eligible, or following standard layoff procedures. NASA was initially spared from the massive cuts being made to other federal agencies, in part due to the intervention of billionaire Jared Isaacman, who Donald Trump has named as the agency's next director.

• A broader attack on the scientific community?

Since returning to the White House, Trump has promoted aggressive measures against the scientific community, including funding cuts, massive layoffs, and censorship of certain research topics. Federal agencies responsible for climate and health have been among the hardest hit. In a global context where climate change is increasingly evident, these measures raise concerns among both experts and the general public. NASA, one of the main sources of scientific data on climate, now risks seeing its mission undermined by the political decisions of the American administration.