Climate.gov Data Preserved via Climate.us

The Preservation of Federal Climate Data

Climate.us was established by former NOAA employees Rebecca Lindsey, Anna Eshelman, and Mary Lindsey to preserve over 15 years of critical climate data and resources after the Trump administration deactivated the federal website Climate.gov due to funding cuts. This effort ensures that public domain data, including the Fifth National Climate Assessment—the government's most comprehensive analysis of climate change—remains accessible to the public.

The Role of Public Domain Law

Public domain law in the United States ensures that government-produced data is not subject to copyright, allowing independent entities to host and redistribute it. This legal framework prevented the total loss of datasets when Climate.gov was taken offline. Because the data was available under a permissive license, the team behind Climate.us was able to migrate the information to a new, independent home.

Available Resources on Climate.us

Climate.us serves as a comprehensive archive and active resource for climate information, featuring:

• Climate Dashboard: A tool for tracking key metrics, such as the Arctic Ocean's September ice cover (specifically areas with at least 15% ice cover).
• Educational Materials: A set of resources designed for teaching climate and energy topics.
• Dataset Gallery: A collection of crucial information, including the NOAA archive of oral histories from individuals affected by climate change.

Community Perspectives on Data Sovereignty

Discussion among technical and policy observers highlights several key considerations regarding the preservation of independent climate archives:

Sustainability and Maintenance

Maintaining independent archives requires significant resources. As noted by user @imoverclocked, the process of turning current data into historical data requires ongoing monitoring and analysis to stay relevant. Currently, Climate.us relies on donations to remain operational, creating a precarious financial model compared to tax-funded government infrastructure.

Decentralized Archiving

Some observers suggest that government websites should be distributed and archived by default. User @Self-Perfection proposed the use of IPFS (InterPlanetary File System) for static content to ensure that government data cannot be easily deleted by a a single administration.

Independence from Government Oversight

There is a debate regarding whether government agencies should be the sole providers of climate data. User @nickff argued that it is problematic for the regulator to be the same entity that provides the supervisory data, suggesting that the transition to independent data collection by activists and scientists may be a more trustworthy model.

International Precedents

Similar transitions from government to independent bodies have occurred globally. User @aussieguy1234 cited the example of the Australian Climate Commission, which was shut down by a conservative government and subsequently reborn as the independent Climate Council, which continues to operate today.