There's Some Disagreement With ABC's Climate Correspondent As to 'How Science Is Done'

Doug P. | 12:06 PM on February 26, 2025

ABC News took another deep dive into "science" with a story about the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration adjusting climate data, and now we're being told that's just normal and good science:

NOAA adjusts their climate data — so what? Check out our latest Climate A to Zee https://t.co/kin1lsrR5o
— Ginger Zee (@Ginger_Zee) February 25, 2025

In the ABC News report, the climate correspondent explained "that's how you do science."

There is some disagreement with that statement:

ABC News "Chief Climate Correspondent" @Ginger_Zee says it's okay that NOAA adjusts temperature data "because that's how you do science." 🙄Actually, no, that's not how science is done.

Adjusting temperature data is not "science" because the adjustments are not and cannot be… pic.twitter.com/nWA2ehd1dy
— Steve Milloy (@JunkScience) February 26, 2025

The full post from Steve Milloy @JunkScience:

ABC News "Chief Climate Correspondent" @Ginger_Zee says it's okay that NOAA adjusts temperature data "because that's how you do science." 🙄
Actually, no, that's not how science is done. Adjusting temperature data is not "science" because the adjustments are not and cannot be verified, especially when verification would require traveling back in time.

If anything it's going back in time and making updated guesses, which certainly can't be called "science."

Acknowledgement is the first step towards recovery. @ABC News finally admits that @NOAA is tampering with thermometer data, but says they have to do it.

🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡https://t.co/zFZmwmtApJ pic.twitter.com/uO0uVr2CmA
— Tony Heller (@TonyClimate) February 26, 2025

This story calls claims that NOAA goes back to adjust climate data a "conspiracy theory" and then in the same breath admits that, yes, it does happen:

The archive of weather data in the United States is recorded by the Historical Climatology Network, a data set of temperature, precipitation and pressure records from long-standing stations around the county, managed and analyzed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
When digging into conspiracies claiming that the federal agency "manipulates" its historical weather data, ABC News' chief meteorologist and chief climate correspondent Ginger Zee was able to confirm that it was true -- but that the routine, public adjustments to records happen for good reason.

If you're keeping track of the shift, adjust your programs accordingly because here where things are now:

>"NOAA doesn't tamper with data!"
>"NOAA used to tamper with data, but not anymore"
>" Ok, NOAA does tamper with data, but it's insignificant"
>"NOAA tampers with current and historical data, and here's why that's a good thing!" <- we are here
— Mr.26 🌒 (@M_6object2) February 26, 2025

It’s not happening

It’s only happening a little bit

It’s happening a lot but it’s a good thing
— Bonnie S 🇺🇸❤️🐶 (@BonnieS21912114) February 26, 2025

We've seen a lot of that kind of thing lately.