- Outrage over 'White History Month' sign in deli window
- Burger King franchisee wins award, gives employees $120K in cash
- Crows leave gifts for girl who feeds them
- Man arrested after commenting on his own wanted photo on Facebook
- Using #TheDress as inspiration, Salvation Army launches campaign against domestic violence
Florida environmental protection employees reportedly have been told not to use the terms "global warming" and "climate change" in official communications.
A report made public this weekend from the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting says the following:
Four former DEP employees told FCIR that they had been instructed not to use the terms during their time at the state's DEP.
"We were told not to use the terms 'climate change,' 'global warming' or 'sustainability,'" Christopher Byrd, who served as an attorney with the DEP's Office of General Counsel from 2008 to 2013, told FCIR. "That message was communicated to me and my colleagues by our superiors in the Office of General Counsel." (Think Progress)
The unwritten policy went into effect after Gov. Rick Scott took office in 2011 and appointed Herschel Vinyard Jr. as the DEP's director, according to former DEP employees. Scott, who won a second term in November, has repeatedly said he is not convinced that climate change is caused by human activity, despite scientific evidence to the contrary. (Miami Herald)
Last year, a reporter asked Scott whether man-made climate change "is significantly affecting the weather, the climate." Scott tried to change the subject and replied, "Well, I'm not a scientist."
When asked by the Tampa Bay Times in 2010 whether he believed in climate change, Scott simply replied, "No."
In August, five climate scientists met with Scott and told him he needs to do more to protect the state from rising sea levels. (HuffPo)
About the Author
