Union of Concerned Scientists

nytimes.comHow Trump Gave the Worst Polluters a Free PassThe president temporarily waived clean-air rules for industrial facilities that spew cancer-causing gases. Then his appointees worked to gut the regulations altogether.

A new investigation by @nytimes.com illustrates how the Trump administration has been letting polluters off the hook—at a cost to our health.

blog.ucs.orgHow Trump’s Free Pass to Polluters Will Harm AmericansMore than one-third of coal plants and other polluting facilities have been exempted from clear air rules.

Millions of people live close to facilities that emit health-harming pollutants covered by the Clean Air Act. By freely exempting favored companies from the law, the Trump administration is willfully exposing people to more pollution.

secure.ucs.orgUrge Congress: Enforce the Existing Clean Air Act Rules—without ExceptionCongress must ensure the Environmental Protection Agency complies with the Clean Air Act and implements science-based rules to protect health and to ensure our communities’ safety over polluters’ prof...

The US EPA should follow the science and put the public interest first—instead, on President Trump’s watch, the agency is letting politically-connected companies ignore those laws entirely. It’s unacceptable.

A new investigation by @nytimes.com illustrates how the Trump administration has been letting polluters off the hook—at a cost to our health.

The Trump administration let executives from polluting industries determine policies meant to prevent that pollution and, in some cases, even appointed lobbyists from those industries to run the federal agencies that oversee them.

ucs.orgDirty Air, Dirty DeedsPresident Trump has given free rein to some of the most polluting industries in the country.

This story echoes our December 2025 report “Dirty Air, Dirty Deeds,” which shows the dangers of the Trump administration’s rush to exempt polluters from the laws they’re supposed to be enforcing.

A new investigation by @nytimes.com illustrates how the Trump administration has been letting polluters off the hook—at a cost to our health.

nytimes.com5 Takeaways From Our Investigation of Trump’s Waivers for PollutersChemical plants and other industrial facilities had been required to curb their toxic emissions. A New York Times investigation shows how they got out of it.

“As soon as Mr. Trump returned to office… industry players saw an opportunity to change their fortunes…Never before had a president let specific polluters off the hook with the stroke of his pen.”

ucs.orgUCS, Other Organizations Send Letter Urging Congress to Block Political Interference in Federal Research FundingUCS and other organizations urge Congress to block an OMB rule giving political appointees greater control over federal research.

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UCS and partner organizations are urging Congress to block a proposed Trump administration rule that would give political appointees greater control over federal scientific research funding. 🧵

blog.ucs.orgDivide and Destroy: A New Year of the Trump Administration’s AuthoritarianismThere is no single line that, when crossed, moves a country from democracy straight to authoritarianism.

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The proposed rule would sideline scientific experts in decisions over billions of dollars in federal research funding. This is part of a broader threat to independent science and democracy.

ucs-documents.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.comucs-documents.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com

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Congress has already temporarily blocked the rule through December 11, 2026. But that protection is temporary. UCS and its partners are calling on lawmakers to take further action to keep politics out of federal research funding. ↘️

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The midterms are here and voting is underway! Here are two things you should do right now: 1️⃣ Make a plan to vote if you haven't already. 2️⃣👇

ucs.orgProtect the Vote in November 2026With the 2026 midterm election on the near horizon, we must do everything we can to safeguard fair elections and protect the right to vote.

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Text RISING to 67369 and sign up for our SMS alerts for urgent election-related developments and action opportunities, especially in the days and weeks following Election Day:

store.ucs.org50% Off Sale: Vote Facts & Evidence bumper stickerElect to show your support for candidates who believe in science with this no-frills, just facts, bumper sticker. Because when facts and evidence are on the ballot, everyone wins.

Elect to show your support for candidates who believe in science with this no-frills, just facts, bumper sticker. 🔬🗳️Because when facts and evidence are on the ballot, everyone wins!

The Union of Concerned Scientists is excited to offer a booth and participate in several discussions at SACNAS 2026. Come find us! Details: https://act.ucs.org/4BmhY5F

Let’s get out and celebrate, America It’s finally #VoteEarlyDay! Still need some help so you’re #VoteReady? UCS & our friends at #VoteEarlyDay have you covered! 🔗Head to voteearlyday.org 💡Find out when and where you can vote today 🗳️Go cast your ballot! 🎉Celebrate

act.ucs.orgDanger Season 2026 Was Hot and Deadly. Will US Be Ready for 2027 Super El Niño-Charged Killer Heat?Any heat death is unacceptable. Put people’s lives first by enacting and implement lifesaving measures.

"It’s worrying that, even as 2026 broke many heat records, 2027’s might be even worse. That’s why we need to do everything in our power now to protect people from extreme heat." Read @ucsalicia.bsky.social's new blog to learn more:

Union of Concerned Scientists reposted

Ploughshares

@ploughshares.bsky.social

Today, Lilly Adams & Yasmeen Silva of @ucs.org launched the US Nuclear Impacts Map, which shows just how far nuclear weapons infrastructure and damage reaches. Ploughshares was proud to support this monumental body of work—congratulations to the entire team! ➡️ nuclearimpacts.org

blog.ucs.orgDanger Season 2026 Was Hot and Deadly. Will US Be Ready for 2027 Super El Niño-Charged Killer Heat?Any heat death is unacceptable. Put people’s lives first by enacting and implement lifesaving measures.

👻Halloween might be around the corner, but there’s nothing scary about our #VoteEarlyDay celebration! Make sure you’re #VoteReady tomorrow by double checking your options for voting early: voteearlyday.org

Union of Concerned Scientists reposted

ucsalicia.bsky.social

@ucsalicia.bsky.social

#DangerSeason 2026 was hot and deadly. Will the US be ready for 2027 Super El Niño-charged #KillerHeat? In my newest blog I talk about the hottest summer on record, what's to come, why we need to prepare *now* to keep people safe. blog.ucs.org/alicia-race/...

Union of Concerned Scientists reposted

Center for International Environmental Law

@ciel.org

Our food system is trapped in a #NitrogenNightmare 🏭 ⚠️ We’ve long been told chemical nitrogen fertilizers feed the world. The truth? A growing environmental & health crisis driven by fossil fuels and corporate power. Thread 🧵👇 1/5

aip.orgNSF Acting Director, Chief of Staff to ExitTop officials at the embattled agency plan to leave by the end of the year.

The acting director of the National Science Foundation has announced he will step down at the end of 2026. Now, the administration may push the Senate to confirm Jim O’Neill, Trump’s egregious nominee to lead the NSF.

blog.ucs.orgResearch at Risk: The Latest Proposal to Devastate the National Science FoundationTrump administration proposed changes would destroy what has made NSF great and diminish US as leading scientific superpower.

The administration has also attempted to increase political control over the agency through a proposed NSF rule that would subject all NSF grants to review and approval by a politically appointed official, contradicting everything NSF’s current merit-review process stands for.

This must stop. O’Neill must never be confirmed. Earlier this year, nearly 20,000 UCS supporters sent letters to Congress demanding that the Senate reject his nomination. We will continue to oppose his nomination until that happens.

aip.orgNSF Acting Director, Chief of Staff to ExitTop officials at the embattled agency plan to leave by the end of the year.

blog.ucs.orgTrump’s Nominee to Run NSF is Unqualified, Conflicted, and a Threat to ScienceIf O’Neill is confirmed as NSF’s director, the Trump administration will further tighten its control over an agency created by Congress to be independent in its work to advance science.

O’Neill is unqualified, conflicted, and a threat to independent science. His confirmation—which has been rightly stalled for months—would allow the administration to further tighten its grip over one of the nation’s leading scientific institutions.

blog.ucs.orgCutting Science Out: Trump Administration Fires National Science Board MembersThis is an attempt to silence independent scientists, shut down evidence-based decision making, and keep the public in the dark.

The damage to NSF has already been extensive. It has lost more than one-third of its staff, and in August the administration fired the entire NSF National Science Board—an apolitical board of eminent experts charged with providing oversight of the agency.

Trump’s EPA promised to fill vacancies on its only committee protecting youth from pollution and toxic chemicals. Eight months later, seats remain empty. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin says appointments could come this month. But promises aren’t action, and science must guide the committee’s work. 🧵

ucs.orgFormer EPA Children’s Health Advisers Call Out Trump Administration’s Unfulfilled Promise to Keep Kids SafeFormer members of the Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee are calling out the Trump administration for failing to fulfill its own commitment to engage experts in protecting children’s heal...

More than 70 children’s environmental health experts and advocates, including the @ameracadpeds.bsky.social eds.bsky.social, recently called on EPA to restore the committee. Read more:

To uphold its commitment to improving the health and safety of kids, EPA should stop sidelining science. It must appoint qualified, independent experts with relevant children’s environmental health expertise who are free from financial conflicts of interest to the CHPAC.

blog.ucs.orgTo the Trump Administration, Children’s Health Is an Acceptable SacrificeOn Children's Environmental Health Day, here's a look at how the Trump administration isn't living up to its promises to protect children's health.

For nearly 30 Years, the EPA Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee has provided over 100 science-based recommendation letters to the agency prioritizing the safety of our nation’s kids. As the committee sits empty, it is unable to fulfill that mission.

Our weather is being overtaken by a climate-fueled El Niño. 🚨 The record heat in our oceans is driving climate extremes on land. Join us LIVE to explore the science behind these supercharged climate patterns and what comes next. 📅10/28, 6pm ET. To set a reminder, visit: https://ow.ly/9sKp50ZZSHo

The 2026 UNEP Emissions Gap Report released today underscores the huge gulf between current country commitments to cut heat-trapping emissions and what’s needed to limit overshoot of global warming above 1.5°C. 🌏 Download here: bit.ly/4jzJpTk

President Trump’s egregious decision to exit from the Paris Agreement (and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change) is a major reason for the worse emissions trajectory projected in this year’s Emissions Gap Report.

World leaders must heed the latest science and prioritize the well-being of people and the planet, including ensuring bold and just outcomes at the forthcoming UN climate talks, COP31, in Antalya, Türkiye in November.

1.5C is so much more than a number. It is a lifeline. It is the difference for billions of peoples’ lives and livelihoods. [📸: Kalani Muller]

ucs.orgUN Report Highlights Dangers of Overshoot of 1.5 degrees Celsius of Global Warming, Pathways to Limit RisksA new report from UNEP makes clear that exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming is inevitable, putting the world in danger of severe climate impacts

Decades of insufficient action from policymakers and the destructive actions of fossil fuel companies have put people across the world in grave danger as we cross 1.5°C.

secure.ucs.orgGreat Lakes, Greater Voices: Michigan Science Advocacy TrainingsThe Union of Concerned Scientists invites you to training workshops in Detroit (Oct. 27) and East Lansing (Oct. 29) on how to advocate for community solar, clean transportation, and AI data center regulations. RSVP today.

UCS staff are hitting the road to meet Michiganders who are interested in strengthening their science advocacy skills. Join us in Detroit and East Lansing to learn how to advocate for community solar, clean transportation & AI data center regulation. Tuesday, October 27, 6pm ET.

youtu.bePuerto Rico's Solar Insurrection: A ConversationYouTube video by Union of Concerned Scientists

Michelle Rama-Poccia y Paula García viajaron a Adjuntas, Puerto Rico, para hablar con Arturo Massol Deyá, director ejec. de @casapueblo.bsky.social, un grupo de autogestión comunitaria que ha forjado un camino hacia la independencia energética, creando una red solar para su comunidad y mucho más.

Union of Concerned Scientists reposted

UCS Climate & Accountability Campaigns

@ucsclimate.bsky.social

In a poll released last week by Data for Progress, 75% of likely voters said they would oppose legislation that would give fossil fuel companies “legal immunity from having to pay for the damages they have caused by worsening climate change.”

commondreams.org75% of Likely US Voters Oppose Giving Big Oil Immunity From Climate Lawsuits | Common DreamsEven 67% of Republican voters think states should be allowed to sue oil companies for climate damage. But Trump and GOP lawmakers are pushing to kill these suits for good.

Every single day, American science saves lives through weather forecasts, medical treatments, public health warnings, and more. Investments in science are investments in our future. 🔗Tell your member of Congress to act: https://act.ucs.org/4za7gxF 📊Learn more at attacksonscience.org

act.ucs.orgWill Electric Companies Protect Consumer Bills From Data Centers? The AI boom—and consequential rush to build a staggering number of data centers across the country—puts electric companies and everyday consumers smack-in-the-middle of an affordability crisis. The sharp growth of data centers creates unprecedented impacts on our electricity supply. Because ele

"The sharp growth of data centers creates unprecedented impacts on our electricity supply. Because electric companies are regulated monopolies maybe, just maybe, these companies will protect us from paying more on our electric bills. The signs so far don’t look so good..." Read Mike Jacobs's blog:

blog.ucs.orgWhy We’re Going to Court Over Meta’s Louisiana Data CenterAll around the country, people are grappling with the development of large artificial-intelligence (AI) data centers, many of which have been shrouded in secrecy. With tech companies wanting to keep certain information from both their competitors and the public, even signing a slew of non-disclosure

In late September, Earthjustice filed an appeal of a regulatory decision that allowed Meta Platforms to conceal information about its North Louisiana data center project, on behalf of the UCS and Louisiana-based Alliance for Affordable Energy. UCS’s Paul Arbaje explains why we’re going to court:

newsweek.com‘No Kings’ Says Meta Cut Off Access to Instagram Account on Key Protest Day

On Saturday, in the middle of a national day of action with more than 3,000 voter mobilization events, Meta took down No Kings’ Instagram account. It took 90 minutes—and escalating public outcry—for Meta to restore public access, and four hours before No Kings was able to post again. #NoKings #Meta

blog.ucs.orgThe Democracy We Must Protect TogetherNow is the time for folks from different political traditions, industries, communities, and issue areas to come together around a minimum set of commitments essential to democratic self-government.

As a partner of the No Kings coalition, we encourage everybody to vote during the midterms and join us as we stand united for the democracy we must protect together.

ucs.orgProtect the Vote in November 2026With the 2026 midterm election on the near horizon, we must do everything we can to safeguard fair elections and protect the right to vote.

Learn more about how you can get engaged and protect the vote.

newsweek.com‘No Kings’ Says Meta Cut Off Access to Instagram Account on Key Protest Day

Meta claims this was an error, but this is too significant & concerning to just take their word for it. To ensure that a similar incident doesn't happen again, Meta must provide a detailed & public explanation of the steps it will take to prevent any future "errors" of this magnitude from occurring.

UCS Climate & Accountability Campaigns

In a new paper in Nature Climate Action, we joined a group of experts to argue for a significant normative shift in climate science, focusing on how humans have altered the Earth’s climate system, regardless of what Big Oil and the Trump admin argue. Learn more: https://act.ucs.org/4dJq6De

Union of Concerned Scientists reposted

@ucsclimate.bsky.social

"This new deposition is just the latest piece of evidence that Exxon knew it was promising more than its algae research could deliver... It shows how Exxon used advertising as a tool to mislead consumers about the risks of its business model." #ExxonKnew

heated.worldExxon scientist says the company knew its algae biofuel ads were BSIn newly reported deposition testimony, a company scientist calls Exxon’s claims “patently false”—and says he warned them before they went public.