WI war on "climate change" broader than two-word ban
The sheer stupidity of Wisconsin's elected Treasurer and Attorney General who banned the use of the phrase "climate change" by a board and staff which manage tens of thousands of acres of state forests has come to the attention of national media because the officials' ideological know-nothingism mirrors right-wing wackiness which first popped up in Florida.
And the stories have legs because media enjoy delivering a punch to low-brow politicians who so effortlessly affirm every newsroom stereotype of the clueless elected official.
But it is important to grasp that the effort to muddy, dumb down and stifle the climate change issue in Wisconsin goes far beyond the petty and uninformed behavior of two state officials.
Gov. Walker's corporate-friendly Department of Natural Resources has scrubbed virtually every link and word about climate change from what had been a very useful and comprehensive web page - - noted often on this blog back to 2012 - - and the agency is poised to undergo another round of budget and personnel cuts aimed by Walker at scientific research, policy-making and field work.
Wisconsin's forests and the wetlands and waters they protect are vulnerable to a changing climate's drought, rising temperatures and disruptive, heavier rain events: the state's agricultural and tourism sectors can prosper only with the best science available - - regrettably not a current administration priority.
Walker's DNR is giving but a cursory official look at a cross-state tar sand oil pipeline from the Canadian north that will enable the shipment of far more tar sand oil daily than is envisioned for the higher-profile Keystone XL - - a look being managed without a comprehensive environmental review of the route.
Walker is also coordinating opposition by his Public Service Commission and the Attorney General to new clean air greenhouse emission rules proposed by the US Environmental Protection Agency, and Walker signed a public pledge sought by the Koch brothers opposing governmental actions against climate change.
The ignorant censorship at the State's Commission on Public Lands is bad, but there is a lot more being done in Wisconsin by Walker as bad, or worse.
More, here.
And the stories have legs because media enjoy delivering a punch to low-brow politicians who so effortlessly affirm every newsroom stereotype of the clueless elected official.
But it is important to grasp that the effort to muddy, dumb down and stifle the climate change issue in Wisconsin goes far beyond the petty and uninformed behavior of two state officials.
Gov. Walker's corporate-friendly Department of Natural Resources has scrubbed virtually every link and word about climate change from what had been a very useful and comprehensive web page - - noted often on this blog back to 2012 - - and the agency is poised to undergo another round of budget and personnel cuts aimed by Walker at scientific research, policy-making and field work.
Wisconsin's forests and the wetlands and waters they protect are vulnerable to a changing climate's drought, rising temperatures and disruptive, heavier rain events: the state's agricultural and tourism sectors can prosper only with the best science available - - regrettably not a current administration priority.
Walker's DNR is giving but a cursory official look at a cross-state tar sand oil pipeline from the Canadian north that will enable the shipment of far more tar sand oil daily than is envisioned for the higher-profile Keystone XL - - a look being managed without a comprehensive environmental review of the route.
Walker is also coordinating opposition by his Public Service Commission and the Attorney General to new clean air greenhouse emission rules proposed by the US Environmental Protection Agency, and Walker signed a public pledge sought by the Koch brothers opposing governmental actions against climate change.
The ignorant censorship at the State's Commission on Public Lands is bad, but there is a lot more being done in Wisconsin by Walker as bad, or worse.
More, here.
4 comments:
What's Walker supposed to do- he signed the Americans for Prosperity anti climate change legislation pledge:
http://americansforprosperity.org/noclimatetax/pledge-takers/
Exactly! What's a Regular Joe governor to do? Walker signed the AFP pledge on 26 July 2008, well before he took the oath of office for governor. Clearly his allegiance to AFP predates and nullifies any allegiance to the citizens of Wisconsin.
MontrealHammer
Well, you can't call him CORRUPT. (That's just what it says! You can't!)
"That which shall not be named!"
Climate change is the GOP's own personal Voldemort.
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