Whistleblowers from three federal agencies have provided evidence that scientific findings related to climate change were systematically altered or removed from public reports between 2020 and 2023.
The documents include email chains where political appointees demanded 'language modifications' that scientists say distorted their findings. In one case, a paragraph describing 'accelerating sea-level rise' was changed to 'variable sea-level trends.'
'They weren't just editing for clarity—they were changing the science,' one scientist said. 'When we pushed back, we were told the changes were coming from 'higher up' and weren't negotiable.'
The suppressed data included projections showing that certain coastal communities would need to relocate within 15-20 years—information that could have affected property values and insurance rates. A draft report containing these findings was shelved indefinitely.
An internal review found that over 200 instances of 'non-scientific editing' occurred across 14 major reports during the period. The agency responded: 'All reports undergo standard editorial review to ensure clarity and appropriateness for public audiences.'