American Meteorological Society and partners issue statement on public availability of scientific evidence on climate change

Statement responds to removal of climate science from U.S. judicial reference manual and proposed removal of the same information by the National Academies

2026-03-13

(Press-News.org) The American Meteorological Society, joined by partner societies including the Ecological Society of America, the American Statistical Association, the Woodwell Climate Research Center, and the American Institute of Biological Sciences, has released a statement on “Public Availability of Scientific Information and Scientific Evidence on Climate Change” in response to the decision by the Federal Judiciary Center (FJC) to remove the climate science chapter from the Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence, Fourth Edition and a February letter from 21 state attorneys general urging the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) to omit similar guidance regarding climate change.

The AMS statement emphasizes that the removed chapter reflects the broad scientific conclusions reached through decades of rigorous research and comprehensive assessments conducted by thousands of independent scientists and scientific organizations.

AMS and the co-signing societies warn that removing this material could limit access by public officials—including those in the legal system—to the best available scientific understanding of climate change, while also potentially discouraging scientists from contributing expertise to public decision-making.

The statement begins as follows:

“The American Meteorological Society and the scientific societies listed below are surprised and concerned with the decision by the Federal Judiciary Center (FJC) to remove the climate science chapter from the Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence, Fourth Edition and the subsequent letter of February 19, 2026 from 21 attorneys general to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM).

We are surprised because the climate science chapter from the Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence, Fourth Edition, is consistent with all other comprehensive, robust, and rigorous assessments of the science that we are familiar with. It reflects the broad scientific conclusions that result from comprehensive evaluations of evidence and that are based on the efforts of thousands of independent scientists.1 The evidence relating to climate change has been comprehensively assessed hundreds of times by subject matter experts and scientific organizations that are motivated to be scientifically accurate—people and organizations whose credibility increases with scientific accuracy or diminishes with scientific errors.

Therefore, the FJC decision and the subsequent letter appear to us to be at odds with decades of intensive scientific investigation.

We also have two concerns: 1) that removal of the chapter will mean that public officials will not have access to the best available scientific knowledge and understanding with respect to climate change, and 2) that the actions of people in positions of power will discourage scientists from providing public officials with the best available knowledge and understanding.”

Footnote: 1. The science of climate change spans dozens of fields and sub-fields within the physical, natural, and social sciences relating to the Earth and environment. These include (but are not limited to) atmospheric physics, atmospheric chemistry, oceanography (physical, chemical, and biological), cryology, glaciology, biology, physiology, biogeography, biogeochemistry, health, and economics, among others. Each of these disciplines has hundreds of practicing scientists—tens of thousands of scientists overall.

Read the full statement here.

The statement reiterates several key scientific conclusions: that climate change is occurring at an unusual rate and scale, that human activities are the primary driver, that the impacts are harmful and increasing, and that these findings reflect overwhelming agreement among experts who study the evidence.

AMS and its partners urge reinstatement of the climate science chapter and reaffirm their readiness to assist public officials in accessing and applying the best available scientific knowledge.

About the American Meteorological Society The American Meteorological Society advances the atmospheric and related sciences, technologies, applications, and services for the benefit of society. Founded in 1919, AMS has a membership of around 10,000+ professionals, students, and weather enthusiasts. AMS publishes 12 atmospheric and related oceanic and hydrologic science journals, in print and online; sponsors more than 12 conferences annually; and offers numerous programs and services. Visit us at https://www.ametsoc.org/.

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