Demand EPA Restore Reassigned Climate Experts Now

The climate crisis is already here — and the American people know it. According to recent polling, a majority of U.S. adults now say they expect to see catastrophic climate impacts in their lifetimes, underscoring how widespread and real the threat feels to everyday families and communities.

But instead of strengthening America’s response, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has chosen to weaken it by reassigning 47 career EPA staffers who worked directly on climate change, effectively dismantling the core of the EPA’s climate expertise. These are not political hires — they are scientists, analysts, and policy experts who tracked emissions, developed science-based protections, and helped ensure our country could prepare for and respond to climate threats. This is not routine restructuring; it is political interference that undermines our ability to protect people.

This attack on climate expertise comes at a moment of crystal-clear urgency. Recent scientific analysis found that deadly floods in Spain — one of Europe’s worst natural disasters — were significantly worsened by human-caused warming, which increased rainfall intensity and the likelihood of extreme rainfall events linked to climate change.

Across the globe, hotter oceans and a warmer atmosphere are fueling extreme weather events that scientists have long warned will become more frequent and severe. Every reassignment of climate scientists within the EPA weakens America’s early-warning system, erodes data collection, and slows development of critical protections for clean air, water, and public health.

Communities in the U.S. are already feeling these impacts firsthand — from unprecedented heat waves and wildfires to flooding and storms that destroy homes and livelihoods. We cannot afford to strip away the expertise needed to meet this moment.

We demand:

1: An immediate reversal of these climate staff reassignments

2: Full restoration and strengthening of EPA’s climate workforce

3: Commitment to transparent Congressional oversight into this action

4: A renewed, public commitment to science-based climate protections

The climate crisis will not wait. Neither can we.

Sign this petition to defend science, protect communities, and ensure the EPA fights for our future — not polluters.

The petition to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin reads: Reassigning 47 EPA climate experts is a reckless move that undermines America’s ability to confront a rapidly worsening climate crisis. As climate-driven disasters grow deadlier and most Americans expect catastrophic impacts in their lifetimes, the EPA must strengthen its climate response — not dismantle it. Reverse these reassignments immediately and restore science-based climate protections.
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Sources:

E&E News | EPA docs: 47 climate staffers reassigned | https://www.eenews.net/articles/epa-docs-47-climate-staffers-reassigned/

YouGov | Nearly half of Americans think they will see catastrophic impacts of climate change in their lifetimes | https://today.yougov.com/politics/articles/54124-nearly-half-americans-think-they-will-see-catastrophic-impacts-climate-change-in-their-lifetimes-february-13-16-2026-economist-yougov-poll

Scientific American | How Climate Change Made Deadly Floods in Spain Even Worse | https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-climate-change-made-deadly-floods-in-spain-even-worse/