A tipline to protect the planet
Polluting industries have captured the federal government. We’re opening a secure tipline for employees to report the impacts.
The fossil fuel industry has been working to deny and downplay the reality of catastrophic climate change and air pollution for decades.
Now, after spending $445 million to sway the 2024 elections, Big Oil has achieved unprecedented influence over the federal government. Just weeks into the new administration, the Senate has confirmed three fossil fuel industry allies and representatives to lead some of the nation’s largest environmental, energy, and research agencies.
Industry capture of the federal bureaucracy has chilling implications for environmental quality, public health, and long-term climate stability across the world. Journalists have already started to report on some of the potential effects of this influence, thanks to courageous federal workers and scientists who have come forward as anonymous sources.
We believe these reports are only the tip of the iceberg—and that there are many attacks on science to come. That’s why HEATED and SciLight are opening a tipline for federal government employees to securely report industry and political interference in science and science-based decisionmaking processes.
What kind of tips are you looking for?
We’re looking to hear from federal scientists and employees who believe they are witnessing the suppression, manipulation, or sidelining of science intended to protect public health and the planet.
Scientific integrity violations can come in many forms. They can come via direct order, like: Defunding programs, altering grant-making processes, censoring scientists, dismantling advisory committees, manipulating research that informs policy or regulatory decisions, overlooking peer-review processes, or removing data from public government websites.
But scientific suppression can also take more passive forms, like creating a hostile work environment for federal scientists. This can lead to self-censorship, reductions in workforce, or staff burnout.
We want to hear about it all—even if it’s something you believe is small. If you have doubt about whether your experience is important or not, we encourage erring on the side of disclosure. With enough sources, we hope to be able to identify patterns across agencies. You never know which snowflake will cause an avalanche.
Why send tips to you, and not the New York Times?
If you’re a federal worker with a story to tell, you should reach out to any reporter or news organization you trust.
But the fact is, legacy newsrooms across the country are understaffed and overwhelmed. And often, when that happens, climate and environmental science take a back seat to sexier, clickier topics—ones that, coincidentally, might be less likely to piss off their billionaire owners or fossil fuel advertisers.
Stories about the future of life on Earth never take a back seat with us. HEATED and SciLight are both independent, reader-funded news publications with no billionaire or fossil fuel funding.
HEATED is dedicated solely to polluter accountability, and SciLight is dedicated solely to scientific integrity. HEATED is run by Emily Atkin, a longtime climate and environmental journalist with a demonstrated track record of powerful storytelling and source protection. SciLight is run by Dr. Jacob Carter, an environmental scientist who has worked with federal scientists for over a decade to push back against instances of political interference.
We also recognize the personal risk federal employees take on when they decide to speak to reporters. That’s why, in addition to encrypted e-mail and Signal lines, we are also consulting with attorneys to answer questions potential sources may have about sharing memos or sensitive information. Attorneys will also be able to assist us with identifying activities by the administration that could be subject to legal action.
With our combined expertise—and decade-long friendship—we believe we have the ability to identify important scientific integrity violations, tell meaningful stories, protect sources, and spur real-world impact.
Most importantly, we’re just real people who give a shit about the planet’s future, hoping to find some more of the same. So if you’re a federal employee with a story to tell, send us a note—and if you’re not, but you want to hear their stories, share this post far and wide.
Further information
The “send us a tip” buttons above direct to an encrypted e-mail account shared by both Emily and Jacob. If you’d rather contact one of us individually, our protonmail and Signal usernames are below.
Submissions to the tipline will be automatically considered off-the-record. E-mails and texts will not be shared or used in publication without discussion, verification, and consent. When sending us a message, please do not use government e-mails or devices.
Emily’s Protonmail: emorwee (at) proton (dot) me
Emily’s Signal: @emorwee.06
Jacob’s Protonmail: scilightsubstack (at) protonmail (dot) com
Jacob’s Signal: @Jacobcarter.95
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Damn, shit is getting very real... This excellent idea is just another thing on the list of, extraordinary measures, moments of usual candor, emotions slipping through, and so on that I've seen from a trusted voices showing just how far off the map we are. Hold on to each other tight everyone.
This is perfect. All the work the federal government does in presenting an unbiased view of the world is going to be corrupted by the Trump admin for all sorts of fascist purposes, so HEATED doing what it can is vital for accountability.