Florida officials banned from saying ‘climate change’ because Gov. Rick Scott doesn’t think it’s real
Administrators working for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection have been banned from using the terms “climate change” or “global warming” in any state documents, as well in meetings, on orders handed down from high-ranking officials in Gov. Rick Scott’s administration, reports the Miami Herald.
Staffers in the DEP say they are not allowed to use any terms not deemed, “a true fact” by higher ups in the state government.
“We were told not to use the terms ‘climate change,’ ‘global warming’ or ‘sustainability,’” explained Christopher Byrd, a former attorney with the DEP’s Office of General Counsel until 2013. “That message was communicated to me and my colleagues by our superiors in the Office of General Counsel.”
According to the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting, DEP officials were ordered not to use the terms in any official communications, emails, or reports, with one former staffer saying she was cautioned by a supervisor to refrain from using the terms in staff meetings.
“We were told that we were not allowed to discuss anything that was not a true fact,” former DEP employee Kristina Trotta explained.
The unwritten policy reportedly went into effect after Gov. Scott, who has steadfastly stated that he is not convinced that climate change is caused by human activity despite scientific consensus, took office in 2011.
According to Scott spokesperson Jeri Bustamante, “There’s no policy on this.”
DEP employees disagree, with one frustrated staffer saying they were warned that using the terms in reports would bring unwanted attention to their projects.
“We were dealing with the effects and economic impact of climate change, and yet we can’t reference it.”
According to Byrd, is not just about the words they have been told not to use.
“It’s an indication that the political leadership in the state of Florida is not willing to address these issues and face the music when it comes to the challenges that climate change present,” he explained.
According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, climate change and rising sea levels would have a devastating impact on Florida’s low-lying coastal areas; affecting fresh water supplies, agriculture, tourism, and the fragile Everglades ecosystem.
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‘Putin’s other puppet’: Internet blows up #MoscowMitch McConnell after he blocks bills securing election
Reports that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocked two bills aimed at helping to secure America's election process from Russian interference infuriated Twitter commenters with his action -- or inaction -- coming right after ex-special counsel Robert Mueller testified that the Kremlin will seek to interfere just as they did in 2016.
The Senate majority leader blocked two election security bills twice this week and commenters were quick to note that the Republican leader also prevented the Obama administration from warning Americans about Russian meddling in 2016.
With the 2020 election right around the corner, McConnell's decision to look the other way had one Twitter user calling him "Putin's other puppet" -- a reference to a nickname aimed at Donald Trump who was helped in his 2016 presidential run by Vladimir Putin.
The integrity of American elections was compromised long before Donald Trump’s shocking victory in 2016, but former special counsel Robert Mueller’s testimony before Congress on Wednesday made clear that one political party is actively subverting attempts to protect our democracy.
Hours after Mueller testified about foreign election interference before the House Intelligence Committee on Wednesday afternoon, the Republican-controlled Senate moved to block four separate bills to defend the U.S. democratic process.
"Over the course of my career, I've seen a number of challenges to our democracy," Mueller said in his opening remarks. "The Russian government's effort to interfere in our election is among the most serious. As I said on May 29, this deserves the attention of every American."
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Mueller admitted Trump’s sworn answers weren’t all ‘truthful’ — and now Democrats are zeroing in: report
It was almost a throwaway moment, but under questioning by Florida Democrat Rep. Val Demings, former Special Counsel Robert Mueller let slip a new admission in his congressional testimony Wednesday with the potential to alter the terrain of the impeachment debate.
The Florida lawmaker pressed the ex-Marine on the president’s sworn written answers to questions provided by the special counsel, given in lieu of a formal interview, which Donald Trump refused.
“Isn’t it fair to say that the president’s written answers were not only inadequate and incomplete — because he didn’t answer many of your questions — but where he did that his answers showed he wasn’t always being truthful?” Demings asked Mueller in the hearing.
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