Climate Researchers Hope Donald Trump Will Acknowledge Reality

Undergraduates trying to enter the climate field will have to hope for the best when it comes to their careers, as President-elect Donald Trump's choices could set the tone for their careers, specifically, when it comes to budgeting.

As Scientific American pointed out, it is not about science policy choices -- Trump's proposed policies, including immigrant deportation, cancelation of certain types of visas and even the increased surveillance of Muslims -- can limit the flow of science and ideas. Every decision Trump makes today could influence climate research, not just in the short term but in the long term as well.

When it comes to their early career, climate scientists are struggling, with some using the words "worried," "threatened" or "disheartened" of Trump's actions. However, the same people also used the words "emboldened," "important" and "determined" to push forward their research.

It is not only the young scientist community that wants Trump to accept facts of climate change and global warming. The CEO of the American Association for the Advancement of Science said that he was worried about the federal funding for scientific research.

Rush Holt, a physicist and former Democratic representative from New Jersey, was cited by NBC News to have said, "We hope that President Trump will be more grounded in specific facts than was candidate Trump and pay more attention to the process of careful, open vetting of hypotheses and claims." He added that climate change is not something that we cannot wish away, as could any other issue not illuminated by research.

Trump has consistently denied the fact that people are responsible for climate change, even accusing China of making it a hoax in his Twitter account. With many Republicans in the congress also denying the phenomenon, scientists are worried that a Republican-led government could pull the U.S. out of deals meant to slow down the effects of climate change to our planet Earth.