The Trump administration has been quietly removing climate change information from federal government websites, sparking concerns about transparency and accountability. In response, researchers have revived an online tool that tracks these changes, providing a vital resource for policymakers and advocates seeking to restore access to critical environmental data.

The Federal Environmental Web Tracker, initially developed during Trump's first administration, is a comprehensive database that documents changes to climate and environmental information on federal websites. The tool, maintained by the nonprofit Environmental Data & Governance Initiative (EDGI), includes links to webpages that are either down completely or have had significant changes made since Trump stepped back into office.

As of early February, just weeks after Trump's return to office, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) began deleting the term "climate" from its website. The tracker now includes over 200 entries for federal webpages that have been altered, with updates planned on a weekly basis.

Some changes are subtle, such as an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) webpage being renamed from "Power Sector Emissions Data" to simply "Power Sector Data." While the data remains available, the title change may help the information stay online by avoiding scrutiny from Trump administration officials. However, entire webpages or sections of content have vanished, including EPA pages on climate change, human health, and children's health that no longer include links to information about "equity."

The removal of these resources has significant implications for communities disproportionately affected by climate change and pollution due to poverty or the history of segregation and racism in the US. Advocates are already taking action, with organic farmers filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration last week for removing content they rely on to help them grow crops, alleging that the US Department of Agriculture's sudden removal of key online resources broke federal law.

This lawsuit follows a similar legal challenge filed by doctors that led to the restoration of some federal webpages on health disparities. Thanks to EDGI and other groups archiving these webpages, the public can use the Federal Environmental Web Tracker and the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine to access old versions of websites, providing a vital resource for policymakers and advocates seeking to restore transparency and accountability.

The Trump administration's actions have sparked widespread concern about the erosion of transparency and accountability in environmental policy. As the administration continues to remove critical information from federal websites, the importance of tools like the Federal Environmental Web Tracker cannot be overstated. By providing a clear record of these changes, the tracker serves as a vital check on the administration's actions, ensuring that policymakers and advocates can hold them accountable for their actions.

In the face of growing concerns about climate change and environmental degradation, the Trump administration's actions are a stark reminder of the importance of transparency and accountability in environmental policy. As the administration continues to scrub climate change information from federal websites, the Federal Environmental Web Tracker stands as a vital resource for those seeking to restore transparency and promote environmental stewardship.