Florida banned state workers from using term 'climate change' – report

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Guardian

Florida banned state workers from using term 'climate change' – report

‘Global warming’ and ‘sustainability’ among phrases allegedly barred at state’s Department of Environmental Protection, investigative report finds

Tom McCarthy in New York
@TeeMcSee
Sunday 8 March 2015 17.21 EDT

Officials with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the agency in charge of setting conservation policy and enforcing environmental laws in the state, issued directives in 2011 barring thousands of employees from using the phrases “climate change” and “global warming”, according to a bombshell report by the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting (FCIR).

The report ties the alleged policy, which is described as “unwritten”, to the election of Republican governor Rick Scott and his appointment of a new department director that year. Scott, who was re-elected last November, has declined to say whether he believes in climate change caused by human activity.

“I’m not a scientist,” he said in one appearance last May.

Scott’s office did not return a call Sunday from the Guardian, seeking comment. A spokesperson for the governor told the FCIR team: “There’s no policy on this.”

The FCIR report was based on statements by multiple named former employees who worked in different DEP offices around Florida. The instruction not to refer to “climate change” came from agency supervisors as well as lawyers, according to the report.


Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/mar/08/florida-banned-terms-climate-change-global-warming

[perdita9]

1. So much for freedom of speech

God forbid you're a doctor and ask your patients about storing guns safely.

[Kingofalldems]

2. I thought the Koch brothers were libertarian, free speech and all.

Guess that was another lie.

[world wide wally]

3. What kind of an asshole votes for people like this?

[AngryDem001]

4. Oh, Florida....

what has happened to you?

[Thor_MN]

7. Ironic. Considering what will happen to Florida.

Hope Georgia doesn't mind a influx of stupid over the next 100 years.

[1Greensix]

20. they won't notice

After you've lived in Georgia for a short while, you realize that an influx of stupid people might be an improvement from what they now have.

[d_legendary1]

9. The Democratic Party keeps losing to Republicans on Purpose

Remember Alex Sink? Bank of America corporate Democratic Nominee that gave Rick Scott the election (still not sure why he won since he ripped off medicare hardcore). Then last election we had Charlie "I don't know what I'm doing here" Crist. Who knows who they'll run in three years.

[Auggie]

5. Dumb and Dumber III

[Thor_MN]

6. Should be called Department of Environmental Republican Protection...

[Cryptoad]

8. Tick, Tick, Tick

rising sea levels are forcing contamination of Florida's fresh Water supplies....tick, tick,.tick

[Joe Johns]

10. "Yeah, just ignore that ankle-high salt water you're wading through"

Cuz climate change is a hoax!

[DeSwiss]

11. K&R

- We're here.......

"This process of continuous alteration was applied not only to newspapers, but to books, periodicals, pamphlets, posters, leaflets, films, sound-tracks, cartoons, photographs — to every kind of literature or documentation which might conceivably hold any political or ideological significance. Day by day and almost minute by minute the past was brought up to date.

Don't you see the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the language of thought? In the end we shall make thoughtcrime literally impossible because there will be no words in which to express it. Whatever the Party holds to be the truth, is truth. It is impossible to see reality except by looking through the eyes of the Party.”

~George Orwell, 1984

[Turbineguy]

12. Next:

ban "idiot" and "dumbfuck" and we'll all ride to church.

[MadCrow]

13. Climate change and global warming

I guess the FDEP is of the opinion that if you don't say climate changeand global warming they just don't exist. Just the old case of"Ignorance is bliss!"

[ybbor]

14. Anyone else getting sick that the Guardian is doing its job ...

But our press corps can't be bothered with true investigative journalism?

I mean the O'Reilly story is interesting, and I admit to enjoying watch him sweat if only for a minute, but The Guardian is doing all of the heavy lifting here. Thank god.

Oh yeah, and Benghazi.

[dembotoz]

21. 4 some time now

[appalachiablue]

22. Right here. Glad the Guardian keeps on top of our issues, like other foreign & a few indy US outlets

[AnnieBW]

15. Florida State DEP:

[ProudProg2u]

16. "HELP",..I've fallen my heads in the sand and I get get up...

Just Evil fucking bastards, Who the Fuck votes for these fucking bastards...? I just refuse to believe voters are so fucking stupid.

[El Shaman]

17. Wow!! Will they confiscate newspapers next??

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2011-10-20/news/fl-water-climate-20111020_1_sea-level-rise-sea-levels-global-warming

[El Shaman]

18. Wow!! Will they confiscate newspapers next??

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2011-10-20/news/fl-water-climate-20111020_1_sea-level-rise-sea-levels-global-warming

[Shamash]

19. Hearsay

Much as I think this is the sort of crap Scott would try, a story that admits the policy is "unwritten" lacks a certain credibility. Would we be falling all over ourselves to believe it if a bunch of former conservative State Dept employees made a claim about an "unwritten policy" handed down by Hiliary?

I'd be a bit happier if some of the agency supervisors and lawyers who were giving out these instructions came forward and told us who told them to do it or produced some damning paperwork or emails from the top.

Don't believe something just because you expect it to be true or want it to be true.