I’ve already spoken about climate change in the past, and I’m sure people are sick of the topic. I know I am, mostly because it shouldn’t really be a topic of debate. Now, this isn’t going to be an article talking at you about climate change and how it’s ruining the world, et-cetera, et-cetera. Instead, you’re going to hear about some current events that, while they do affect climate change and discussion around it, also affect the future of discussions within government about “controversial” topics.

I refer to recent restrictions on the usage of the phrases “climate change” and “global warming.” Now, before  this becomes too much of an Orwellian 1984-style article, this is only restricted in official correspondence between departments, although that doesn’t necessarily make it much better.

Tristram Korten, a Miami-based journalist, has reported that officials with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) have been disallowed from using the phrases “global warming” or “climate change” in their writings or correspondences between others.

You read that correctly. The department that is there to specifically protect Florida from destructive environmental effects, such as those caused by global warming and climate change, is not allowed to refer directly to said phrases in their own official documentation. That’s ironic and crazy.

Florida is rather infamous in this regard, with several politicians from the state being “skeptics” of global warming and climate change. Interesting that it’s possible to not believe in something that has piles of scientific evidence supporting it.

The former governor of Florida and current Republican contender for the presidency, Jeb Bush, has even referred to himself as a global warming “skeptic.” The current governor, Rick Scott, has dodged the issue by using the popular phrase “I’m not a scientist.”

Unfortunately, this idea has also made it over to a nearby neighbor. Wisconsin’s own Board of Commissioners of Public Lands is now restricted from communicating about climate change and its potential impacts.

The state treasurer, one of the individuals who lead the effort in banning the discussion of climate change, declined to explain his views on climate change and why he decided that the discussion should not be allowed.

This is starting to look like the beginning of a very dangerous trend and an equally dangerous way of thinking in politics and in the United States, in general.

The frightening part of this is that people who run these states, these governments, are the ones who are denying scientifc evidence and destroying our chances of slowing and halting our destruction of the environment and acceleration of climate change. Scientists have studied these trends for years and have concluded that we are definitely contributing to this. Now, I’m no scientist, but there are a lot of scientists at NASA, EPA, and other organizations dedicated to studying this sort of stuff that I’m willing to trust. They’re paid to do that, and their reputation in the scientific community entirely relys on their accurate reports of data, as well as extensive and detailed studies and reports.

Trying to restrict usage of certain words or phrases and silencing others is the political equivalent of plugging your ears and shouting at the top of your lungs in order to avoid hearing something that you don’t like. Not only is it a shady practice, it’s a cowardly one. If you feel the need to restrict the discussion of something rather than being able to disprove it with evidence, chances are that that viewpoint is not entirely correct. Sometimes listening and viewing something from someone else’s perspective can really open your eyes.

-Cameron MacDonald