Dr. Ryan Maue is a meteorologist and the current chief scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Maue was appointed to NOAA in late 2020 after the abrupt dismissal of former chief scientist Craig McLean. Maue is a former researcher with the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank that has tried to raise uncertainty about anthropogenic climate change in the past. While Maue is respected by some for his work in the field of atmospheric science, his views on climate change have alarmed many.
Maue on Climate Change:
Maue does acknowledge that a connection between the burning of fossil fuels and increasing global temperatures exists. However, Maue has questioned what he perceives to be ‘climate alarmism,’ and doesn’t believe that the effects of climate change will be catastrophic if humans continue to burn fossil fuels. He is highly critical of politicians and scientists who link climate change to extreme weather events, such as the destructive California wildfires in 2020, and disputes the idea that rapid climate change in the Arctic can have global effects. He has also criticized politicians and activists advocating for major reductions of fossil fuel emissions, and wrote an op-ed in the WSJ criticizing accurate climate projections made in 1988 by NASA scientist James Hansen.
Associates:
Maue received a PhD in meteorology from Florida State University and is a former researcher at the Cato Institute. His appointment to the NOAA was accompanied by the appointment of David Legates to the position of deputy assistant secretary of commerce for observation and prediction. Both have views that go against the mainstream consensus on climate change and are now in charge of overseeing the production of the National Climate Assessment. Other scientists with questionable views on climate change, such as Cliff Mass and Patrick Michaels have defended Maue.
Climate of Denial