3 Women Rescued 15 Years of Climate Data After Mass Layoffs

When Rebecca Lindsey lost her job at NOAA last year, she didn't just lose a paycheck. She watched an entire website full of life-saving climate information vanish overnight.

Climate.gov had served 15 million visitors annually with everything from heat wave survival tips to hurricane forecasts. Then the Trump administration shut it down. Lindsey, along with former NOAA colleagues Anna Eshelman and her sister Mary Lindsey, refused to let that knowledge disappear into the void.

The three women became the core team behind Climate.us, rescuing over 15 years of critical climate data and educational resources. They preserved the Fifth National Climate Assessment, the government's most comprehensive climate analysis, which was at risk of being lost forever.

"Trusted climate information should not disappear when politics change," Lindsey told The 19th. The trio launched their rescue mission with a clear goal: rebuild the bridge between complex climate science and everyday people who need it.

None of them are climate scientists. They're communicators who spent years translating dense research into practical advice. Lindsey managed Climate.gov's program since 2023, Eshelman designed its graphics for four years, and Mary Lindsey visualized data for 13 years.

They were among 280,000 federal workers cut when the Department of Government Efficiency targeted diversity initiatives and scientific fields. Women, who made up 46% of the federal workforce, were hit especially hard.

Since launching on June 23, Climate.us has raised over $400,000 through crowdfunding and donations. That's enough to keep the site running until early 2027. More than 80 scientists have volunteered as reviewers to ensure accuracy.

The familiar climate dashboard tracking Earth's temperature, greenhouse gases, and sea levels now lives on the new site. The project currently employs three people but will eventually need 10 to 12 to sustain operations.

The Ripple Effect

Rebecca Lindsey grew up asking questions, encouraged by her teacher mother who told skeptical principals that curiosity was a feature, not a bug. That same spirit led her to speak up in NASA meetings where other women stayed silent. Now it's driving her to preserve knowledge that helps communities prepare for extreme weather and understand our changing planet.

The widespread support for Climate.us shows how many people depend on accessible, accurate climate information. What started as three unemployed women refusing to accept knowledge loss has become a movement supported by thousands.

Climate.us proves that when vital public resources disappear, determined people can rebuild them even better.