When the Silence Hurts: A NASA Insider Speaks Out

I’m what I guess you could call a “NASA Insider”. Mind you, NASA is huge, and I know only a slice of the pie. This week, I had lunch with one of my favorite scientists from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). He left a couple of years ago, but we still share a deep connection—one rooted in our time working together on making Earth science communications fun and interesting. We tried not to get too political, but it didn’t take long before our conversation turned to a heartbreaking subject: what’s been happening to JPL and NASA science, to our satellite missions, and to the people who’ve devoted their lives to understanding our planet, other planets, the universe, and beyond.

The Quiet Disappearance of NASA’s Climate Voice

You may have heard that NASA’s climate website “disappeared” last year. As a NASA insider, I saw firsthand how hard it became to get climate content approved. Over the last three years, we managed to publish just two or three original stories per year. NASA technically moved the site under science.nasa.gov—but in practice, they removed or buried much of the most valuable content. They took down the popular “Feedback” section, where people could ask questions and get clear, science-based answers. They shut down our blog, which helped students, teachers, and curious readers understand complex climate science. Just this week, NASA quietly moved its Climate Change social media accounts under the broader NASA Earth umbrella. For those of us who created and cared for these public resources, it feels like NASA is turning down—or even silencing—the climate conversation at the exact moment the world needs it amplified louder than ever.

Meanwhile, the people behind the science are hurting too. JPL sits right on the border of Altadena, the community recently hit hard by the Eaton Fire in January. At least 210 JPL employees lost their homes. Many others are dealing with serious damage from smoke, heat, or water. Some had no warning at all—they lost everything. Now they are fighting with insurance companies, facing uncertainty from FEMA, and rebuilding their lives.

Morale Crumbles Inside NASA

To make matters worse, federal budget cuts are triggering even more layoffs. Staff who moved during COVID—or relocated after the fire due to the lack of housing, parking, and office space—are now being ordered back to work in person. And they’re being told this knowing that another round of layoffs is coming in October. It’s a cruel and uncertain time. Inside NASA, morale has hit rock bottom. For me, it’s even worse than that—but I don’t have the words to describe how heavy my heart feels. At some point, I’ll start sharing personal stories from my former colleagues—people I love like family.

I spent years at NASA because I believed in science as a public service. I believed in the brilliance of our scientists and engineers—and in the importance of helping people understand how our planet works, how human actions are changing it, and how we can still protect what remains. I’m incredibly lucky to have worked alongside so many brilliant minds and to have learned so much along the way.

NASA’s mission to serve the public and make the world a better place remains the same. What’s changed is the political will to support that mission.

Many people already see and feel the impacts of a warming world—through floods, fires, heatwaves, and rising costs. But others either don’t care, or they simply can’t afford to. When you’re juggling two jobs, raising kids, and trying to make ends meet, there’s no time to dig through climate data or worry about melting glaciers.

That’s why public science matters. It’s critical to keep the information flowing, the stories clear, and the truth accessible to those who weren’t science majors. If we stop doing that, we all lose.

A Personal Mission in a Time of Silence

I want to thank those of you who’ve subscribed to the newsletter, visited our website, or checked out our social media. This is a work of the heart. We’ll do our very best to bridge the void as NASA and NOAA’s climate information goes dark.

If you can, please take a moment to call or write your Senators and Representatives. Urge them to stand up for NASA, NOAA, and our nation’s scientific leadership—before it’s too late. The future of Earth and climate science, public health and safety, and our planet depends on it.

I haven’t finished my story, but if you want to learn about the windy road I took to get here, check out the “About Eco Nana” section. Soon, I’ll add another chapter to my journey.