Tuesday, January 17, 2017

On climate, Canada done w/ censorship; whither Trump and WI?

Grim that incoming key Trump senior nominees, like their boss and our soon-to-President have no use for climate change science.

And after I'd shown that the State of Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources had again scrubbed climate science information and links from its official web pages, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel found that similar deletions had whitewashed official Wisconsin Public Service Commission web pages.

Smoke stacks from a factory. 
I'd missed the depth of the long official Canadian crackdown on climate change research and publications which gratefully has been sent packing by the forward-thinking Trudeau government, so consider the Canadian experience a cautionary tale and a reason to fight government censorship - - scientific or otherwise - - wherever you find it:
Nine years of censorship
Canadian scientists are now allowed to speak out about their work — and the government policy that had restricted communications...
The crackdown on government scientists in Canada began in 2006, after Stephen Harper of the Conservative Party was elected prime minister. During the nine-year Harper administration, the government placed a priority on boosting the economy, in part by stimulating development and increasing the extraction of resources, such as petroleum from the oil sands in Alberta. 
To speed projects along, the administration eased environmental regulations. And when journalists sought out government scientists to ask about the impacts of such changes, or anything to do with environmental or climate science, they ran into roadblocks.
In fact, Canada now has a cabinet level department of Environment and Climate Change; ironically depressing, isn't it, that while Trump and right-wing GOP and anti-environmental Gov. Scott Walker both claim to be job-creators, the Canadians are going to be providing a far more friendly environment for green research, development and manufacturing, by policy:
About Environment and Climate Change Canada
At Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), our business is protecting the environment, conserving the country's natural heritage, and providing weather and meteorological information to keep Canadians informed and safe.
Environment and Climate Change Canada is building on its accomplishments with the environment through credible science, effective regulations and legislation, successful partnerships, and high-quality service delivery to Canadians.
We support sound environmental decisions. We work to repair the damage of the past, to collect and pass on knowledge, and to develop, implement and enforce policies to prevent future issues. We also work to ensure that Canadians have a safe, clean and sustainable environment today, tomorrow and well into the future.
Environment and Climate Change Canada is a diverse organization where our programs, services, and people lead the way in implementing the Government of Canada’s environmental agenda. We collaborate with our partners at home and abroad, to realize concrete progress on initiatives that will protect the health of our people and our planet.


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