NCAR’s Mesa Laboratory is recognized as a world leader in scientific research, an economic engine and along with other federal laboratoriesa cultural and educational mainstay in Boulder, local officials said.
“We are making a big mistake as a nation if we do not continue to invest in understanding the evolution of our climate and the impact it will have on society, let alone the local impact on our economy,” said John Tayer, CEO of the Boulder Chamber of Commerce.
The Trump administration has focused on the laboratory for a so-called “woke” direction for its climate change research, according to Russ Vought, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget. NCAR’s mission goes far beyond climate change. It’s unclear when NCAR would be closed, or whether Trump even has the authority to do so. Elected officials denounced the move, labeling it political retaliation.
The Mesa Lab employs approximately 830 people. Based on current data from LinkedIn and Lightcast, the Boulder Chamber of Commerce estimates that between 37 and 440 of these employees live in the Boulder area. Cutting each of these jobs could result in nearly $49 million in lost wages, and a total direct and indirect impact on the local economy of $98 million, according to a Boulder Chamber analysis.
“The positive ripple effect of basic climate and weather research, when leveraged by entrepreneurs and companies of all sizes, cannot be overstated,” said Dan Powers, executive director of CO-LABS and the Society for Science at User Research Facilities. “We have brilliant technologists who are adding their capabilities and their ideas to NCAR’s research that is resulting in even more important and even life-saving technologies.”
The city of Boulder estimates that the nearby network of about a dozen research facilities contributes more than $1 billion to Boulder’s economy each year, according to a statement to the Daily Camera. The city also estimates that the network of laboratories employs more than 3,500 and supports 4,000 additional jobs in the city and the surrounding area.
The city said it was “deeply disturbed” by the government’s move to dismantle NCAR.
“Our community’s commitment to climate action, science-based decision-making and public service is rooted in institutions like NCAR and the decades of expertise they represent,” the statement said. “The city will work with our partners to do everything we can at the local, state, regional and national levels to prevent this.”
Indivisible Boulder is planning a protest in support of NCAR in front of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration building at South Broadway and Rayleigh Road on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Educational impact
Kevin Trenberth retired from Boulder’s NCAR laboratory in 2020 after working there as a scientist for 36 years. He continues to write research papers and is now a leading NCAR scholar.
NCAR plays an important role for universities across the country in educating students and providing facilities for research, also at the University of Colorado Boulder.
Students from across the country visit NCAR during the summer and participate in specially designed programs and seminars, Trenberth said, and many dissertations are written with NCAR scholars as co-advisors.
“The potential for damage here is enormous,” Trenberth said. “And the thing is, it could have very long-lasting consequences because it affects an entire generation of students who are emerging to become the next group of professors and leaders.”
Numerous CU Boulder faculty work closely with NCAR scientists, according to the CU Boulder website, and approximately 40 university postdocs and graduate students conduct the majority of their research at NCAR. They collaborate on a wide range of research related to atmospheric and earth sciences.
CU Boulder spokesperson Deborah Mendez-Wilson said the university values its long-standing partnership with NCAR, which includes decades of collaborative research and innovation.
“Together, CU and NCAR have developed critical scientific understanding of several weather-related areas impacting our state and nation – work that directly benefits communities across the country and supports national security,” Mendez-Wilson wrote in an email. “NCAR is a national resource with deep-rooted partnerships with institutions across the United States and around the world.”
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