Donald Trump has appointed a climate change denier to head his transition team at the EPA, threatened to completely defund NASA’s climate monitoring program, stated he would withdraw from the Paris Accords, and tweeted that he believes climate change is a Chinese hoax. Scientific American has given Donald Trump a grade of 1 out of 5 on scientific literacy.
We would like this administration to endorse legislation that would require or recommend that the president attend a weekly briefing to be held by the National Academy of Sciences. The NAS briefings should be held on various issues where the scientific community has a valid interest in public policy. These briefings should begin under the current Obama administration to set a precedent for the incoming administration.