Washington, July 11 (RHC)-- In the latest attack on the science of climate change in the U.S., the Donald Trump administration appears to be shifting the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration away from studying climate change.  

The NOAA has been one of the key federal science agencies working on climate change.  But the New York Times reports a recent presentation revealed the agency considered dropping the word “climate” from its mission. 

In more climate change news, a U.S. federal judge has thrown out a lawsuit in which the cities of Oakland and San Francisco were suing fossil fuel companies for the costs of dealing with climate change.  The cities had sued to force companies, including BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil and Royal Dutch Shell, to pay for the cost of projects like protecting coastlines from flooding due to sea-level rise. 

But Judge William Alsup ruled: “The problem deserves a solution on a more vast scale than can be supplied by a district judge or jury in a public nuisance case.”