It is no secret to anyone the amount of flooding, heat waves, and wildfires that have devastated the United States this summer. Research on climate change and its subsequent consequences depends on a specific region of the planet: Antarctica. However, the United States has bad news, as the National Science Foundation has announced its intention to dismantle the only research icebreaker, the RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer, and the construction of a new one has also stalled.
One of the participants in the design, the micropaleontologist from Colgate University, Amy Leventer, stated that she hopes it will be achieved by 2031. As if that weren’t enough, all of this coincides with the cuts that the Trump administration is making in matters related to research against climate change. While this cocktail causes the United States to lag somewhat, countries like China and Russia continue to invest in research in that region. Marine geology professor at the University of Houston, Julia Wellner, publicly expressed her concern about this at a conference in Chile earlier this month.
Oceanographer and associate professor at the University of Delaware, Carlos Moffat, maintains that the cuts presented by the House and Senate will not be as drastic and will not pose such a threat. However, according to researchers, no other U.S. vessel is capable of reaching the Thwaites Glacier, known as the ‘Doomsday Glacier’, one of the most significant as it is related to the key to understanding sea level rise. For its part, the NFS stated to NBC News that its intention is to maintain the three research stations in Antarctica, including McMurdo, Amundsen-Scott South Pole, and Palmer.
RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer
The RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer is a research icebreaker owned by Offshore Service Vessels LLC, operated by Edison Chouest Offshore Inc., and chartered by the United States National Science Foundation (NSF). Its mission is to study the ecosystem of the Southern Ocean and its impact on glacial melting due to climate change. Built in 1992, it is one of the most comprehensive vessels available, with laboratories, workshops, and the capacity to conduct operations both on board and at sea. It can accommodate 45 scientists, although it currently has a crew of 22 people.
What problem is there between the United States and Antarctica?
The leadership of the United States in glacial melting research and its presence in Antarctica seems to be in danger. Recently, the National Science Foundation has announced its intention to withdraw the only research icebreaker, the RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer. Additionally, simultaneously, the construction of a new one has been halted, as stated by Amy Leventer, a micropaleontologist from Colgate University who participated in the design process, ‘We hoped for a ship by 2031.’
To make matters worse, the Trump administration continues to cut budgets and grants allocated for climate change research, as well as halting climate reports. This situation raises concern among scientists, whether it is because they are falling behind in research, being overtaken by countries like Russia and China, or due to the cuts they are experiencing.
“This is a abandonment of science and education, but it is also a abandonment of our place on the world stage and a retreat from leadership,” said Julia Wellner, a professor of marine geology at the University of Houston, who visited the ship during an Antarctic scientific conference in Chile earlier this month.
What does the future hold?
Scientists have united against the cuts. Last month, more than 170 researchers, including Carlos Moffat from the University of Delaware, Amy Leventer from Colgate University, and Julia Wellner from the University of Houston, signed a petition to revoke the decision to suspend the design of a new ship. Undoubtedly, the scientific community is actively expressing its discontent, but we will have to wait to see what steps are taken next.
