Censorship, political meddling has no place in science, weather group says

SEATTLE — The nation's top group of weather and climate professionals sounded the alarm Wednesday about scientific freedom of expression, after the White House issued a gag order on some federal employees' social media posts.

"The ability of scientists to present their findings to the scientific community, policy makers, the media, and the public without censorship, intimidation or political interference is imperative," the American Meteorological Society said at its annual meeting.

"These principles matter most — and at the same time are most vulnerable to violation — precisely when science has its greatest bearing on society," the statement added, noting how weather and climate greatly impact a wide range of issues, such as public health and safety, environmental protection and national security.

EPA 'pause' on public communications fuels wider alarm about openness

The declaration came as controversy and uncertainty swirl over how federal agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of the Interior will communicate with the public about climate change and other environmental issues under Trump, who has often called climate change a hoax.

A directive this week ordered employees at the EPA to halt all external communications and posts on social media. And the Interior Department temporarily shut down its Twitter account after a National Park Service employee retweeted side-by-side photos of the crowds that gathered in 2009 on the National Mall for President Obama’s first inaugural and the much smaller number who came to witness Trump’s swearing-in.

Government Twitter accounts have slowed since Trump took office

On Tuesday, the Park Service's Badlands National Park posted several tweets that made a forceful case about the hazards of climate change, but the posts were deleted by the end of the day.

Scott Pruitt, Trump’s choice to run the EPA, said in last week's Senate confirmation hearings that he believes climate change is real. However, Pruitt would not say that human activity is the primary cause of climate change, as the majority of scientists conclude.

EPA nominee Pruitt contradicts Trump claim that climate change is a hoax

While the future of the EPA freeze on communications remains unclear, those at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the federal government's top agency that deals with climate and weather issues, may have a better outlook.

That agency is a branch of the U.S. Department of Commerce, where Trump has tapped Wilbur Ross for its new head. At his Senate confirmation hearing last week, Ross said he has no intention of instructing his employees to fudge or hide information on the science behind rising global temperatures.

"I support the dissemination of valid information to the public,” Ross told Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla. “No valid information should be concealed," he said. "I have great respect for the scientific quality of NOAA (and) I think the communication of factual information and data is very, very important.”

Beyond researching and keeping tabs on the Earth's atmosphere and oceans, NOAA also oversees the crucial National Weather Service. The American Meteorological Society is comprised of more than 13,000 members, including researchers, scientists, broadcasters, educators and other professionals.

Contributing: Ledyard King, USA TODAY