Florida Reportedly Decides To Stick Its Head In The Sand And Ban The Term ‘Climate Change’

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Florida Governor Rick Scott has apparently taken the climate change debate to another level across his state by reportedly banning ‘climate change’ and ‘global warming’ in official state communications. From USA Today:

Scott, a Republican, banned the use of those terms in state communications and publications shortly after he took office in 2011, according to a Miami Herald story Sunday by the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting.

Though it was not a written rule, “we were told not to use the terms ‘climate change,’ ‘global warming’ or ‘sustainability,’ ” Christopher Byrd, a former attorney with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Office of General Counsel told the investigative reporting center. “That message was communicated to me and my colleagues by our superiors,” said Boyd, who held that post from 2008 to 2013.

What would state employees use instead? According to Reuters, terms like ‘sea level rise’ should be replaced with something like ‘coastal resiliency.’ The George Orwell comparisons did follow, but it’s all far too silly for me to do that. It’s much more like Brazil, plus that’s a lot more entertaining than watching John Hurt pout around for a few hours.

Florida is denying such an unwritten rule exists, which is typical. This is certainly not the kind of thing you really want the public to hear about, especially when part of your state is under the threat of rising sea levels. From Reuters:

The governor’s office and the Department of Environmental Protection denied there was a policy banning the terms. “There is no policy and it simply is not true,” said Scott’s deputy communications director, John Tupps.

This should serve as a reminder than some fights will never end, at least not until we’re all dead or ensuring our offspring are born with gills. Steve Doocy will be out in snowstorms, claiming they disprove climate change for many years to come and Rick Scott will continue to ban words until all of Florida is speaking in grunts while forcing their children into sex slavery.

(Via USA Today / Reuters / Forbes)

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