Here’s some discouraging news…according to the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting, employees of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection claim they were ordered to refrain from using the terms “climate change”, “global warming” or “sustainability” in official communications. Apparently the unwritten policy went into effect shortly after Gov. Rick Scott, a global warming skeptic, took office. The new Florida policy is similar to a 2012 law passed by lawmakers in North Carolina that prohibits the state from basing coastal policies on scientific predictions regarding sea level rise.
Scientists have warned that, like much of Florida’s coastline, North Carolina’s outer banks are at particular risk from climate change. But what do environmental scientists know? All they have is science and study and facts on their side while their political opponents have silence, sarcasm and like climate change denier Senator Inhofe, snowballs!
Unfortunately scientists aren’t in charge of our environment and Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection, while they are in charge of planning for how to try and combat what could be catastrophic sea level rise…just can’t talk about it, make reference to it or shhhhhhh…say its name.
ipledgeafallegiance 
I saw the Huffington Post article about this. It’s all about ignorance due money, isn’t it? They can’t utter “climate change” or “global warning” or words of possible catastrophe because it might affect the almighty tourism dollar, which will affect their business constituents. These politicians don’t seem to understand that if the issues aren’t resolved, there will be no tourism on the Florida or North Carolina coastline.
Years ago I fell down the rabbit’s hole of why so much archaeological data is missing from our history compiled of the human journey – turns out, several folks think it’s because not much is done for deep sea archaeology (course, this perspective was completely honed in the 90’s – therefore, may not make sense now – )
BUT the world, and it’s water ways – either oceans, lakes, ponds, rivers, seas – they all ebb/flow – there is substantive evidence that human activities are increasing polar ice melt and yet, let us interfere enough and Mother Earth knows how to quickly shut down the Mid-Atlantic current and wipe us clean from the earth via an ice age, cold summers – blizzards and killed crops, in order that she might once again restore balance – (and I admit – this viewpoint horribly outdated and not politically attractive, but if I have to place my last dime on who knows how best to fend for themselves – Mother Earth or Humans, I’ll take Mother Earth every time – even if I’m not around to collect my winnings – 🙂 Great Post!
I heard on NPR that even though the sea is not yet flooding OVER Miami Beach, it is already flooding UNDER it, and under lengths of the coastline. The Scientist (!gasp!) who spoke on this said the bedrock under the Florida coast is very porous, and the only reason wells have enjoyed fresh water instead of salt water so far is that salt water is heavier….but as the seas rise, the salt water level in the wells also rises. So before they lose beach they’ll lose potable water. Dire.
Oh. My. God.
There are no words for such ignorance. Although “asshole” comes pretty close.
And the truth shall set us free…just don’t name it.
A politician’s priorities are self, business, and then people. Therefore, until Disney World or the politician’s home are under water everything is okay. I advocate putting political skeptics on an iceberg and then watching to see if it melts.