From Mother Jones · Christian Schwägerl · · 1m 50s
Germany builds digital backup for US climate data
Germany creates secure digital archive to protect US climate research from political interference
In brief
Germany creates secure digital archive to protect US climate research from political interference US climate data now backed up in Germany to prevent Trump administration from deleting or manipulating it Originally reported by Mother Jones.
Quick answers
- Why backup?
- German scientists fear US data could be blocked or manipulated by Trump administration actions.
- What is the key takeaway from Germany builds digital backup for US climate data?
- US climate data now backed up in Germany to prevent Trump administration from deleting or manipulating it
New climate data center
German Climate Computing Center adds 5 petabytes of storage to its 254 petabytes of existing climate data.
US climate data at risk
Trump administration has slashed climate funding, buried reports, and removed references to human-caused warming from government websites.
Why backup?
German scientists fear US data could be blocked or manipulated by Trump administration actions.
Data loss threat
In early 2025, Elon Musk's DOGE removed 300 NASA datasets built over decades.
Global data risks
Cyberattacks and wars threaten scientific data worldwide, including Ukraine's research infrastructure.
Data resilience project
American Geophysical Union launched global Data Resilience Project to protect climate data from political interference.
Ukraine data transfer
German-Polish-Ukrainian team digitized 1808-1880 meteorological records and moved them to University of Giessen.
Data sharing goal
Scientists aim to connect global climate data via digital pipelines for automatic backup during threats.
German political risk
Germany's far-right AfD party recently won a state election that denies climate science.
Data backup cost
Transferring petabytes of data via physical transport costs more than internet transfers but avoids political interference.
US data vulnerability
US government agencies have been targeted by political interference and cyberattacks on climate data.
Data preservation
Scientists store data in multiple locations to prevent loss from natural disasters or political actions.
Data sharing
German researchers share US climate data with global scientific community to ensure accessibility.
Future data plan
Germany aims to create a global digital pipeline for automatic data backup during threats.
At a glance
US climate data now backed up in Germany to prevent Trump administration from deleting or manipulating it
