In a move that sent shockwaves across the international research community, Australia's national science organization announced last week its plans to axe a hundred of its climate scientist positions.

The federal science agency's decision has been met with criticism and disdain, as the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) blasted the move as a "backward" step that would leave Australia isolated.

As many as 110 climate scientists from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO)'s atmosphere and oceans unit are expected to be laid off. Another 120 researchers will be out of jobs from the land and water program. Additionally, 350 CSIRO staffs will be transferred into new roles that are unrelated to their specialty.

Scientists from the World Climate Research Program (WRCP), a division of the WMO, said the cuts in climate scientist positions had stunned the global research community.

The WCRP explained that the reduction in climate scientist positions will sever Australia's links to essential Southern Hemisphere data sources. The links connect Australia to the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, New Zealand, China, and beyond.

In turn, Australia will become cut off from the community of researchers who currently devote serious attention to climate change, the group said.

It would leave the climate research community disabled, particularly because CSIRO ran the Southern Hemisphere's most effective Earth monitoring and climate modeling programs. It would also leave young CSIRO climate scientists without direction, experts said.

"The situation is very bad here," said one CSIRO scientist who did not want to be named. "Eighty percent of our climate capability will be gone; it is clear that climate modeling will be cut completely."

Why the sudden shift? The CSIRO spokesperson said the organization's move is a strategic decision.

As climate models had now proven the existence of climate change, the organization's next focus will be on a different vantage point: "What do we do about it [and] how can we find solutions for the climate we will be living with?"

Unfortunately, if Australia proceeds with its plans, sea level rise expert John Church said the country will be breaking the commitment it had made at the Paris climate conference.

"The CSIRO is effectively saying 'climate science is done and we're moving on to adaptation and mitigation'," said Church, who has worked for CSIRO for 38 years. "My view is that there is inaccurate and misleading science in that statement - climate science is not done."

Photo: Amanda Slater | Flickr