Florida officials have repeatedly denied that the state government has banned environmental officials from discussing climate change, but emails from Florida officials released on Wednesday may refute the claim.
As ThinkProgress noted, Greenpeace released an email exchange that appears to show two Florida officials discussing a scientist’s appearance discussing sea level rise in Florida.
According to the emails, a scientist with the Florida Coastal Office was booked to speak about rising sea levels for a National Geographic documentary.
A spokesman with the Coastal Office approved the interview but allegedly told the scientist to “make no claims as to cause … stay with the research you are doing, of course.”
“I know the drill,” the scientist allegedly said in response.
According to a report from the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting, the Florida government unofficially banned employees form using terms like “climate change” and “global warming” in official communications, but were permitted to discuss rising sea levels.
Amid denial from Florida officials, the new secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection repeatedly said the phrase “climate change” during his confirmation on Wednesday in an attempt to prove that no such ban on the term exists.
