In Florida, Officials Ban the Term 'Climate Change'

Employees of Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection have apparently been told not to use the terms “climate change,” “global warming,” or “sustainability” in official documents, according to a new report from the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting. The policy apparently impacted how Florida’s environmental policy was conceived, executed, and explained, reports the Miami Herald. Florida officials have denied the existence of a climate change–denial policy, but it’s worth noting that the state’s governor, Rick Scott, has said he doesn’t believe climate change is caused by human behavior.

Climate change is a major issue in Florida, given that a significant share of the state’s land is coastal. Coastal erosion threatens the state’s population and economy. The National Climate Assessment recently warned, “There is an imminent threat of increased inland flooding during heavy rain events in low-lying coastal areas such as southeast Florida, where just inches of sea level rise will impair the capacity of storm-water drainage systems to empty into the ocean.”

In other news...

Oklahoma: The University of Oklahoma chapter of a national fraternity was closed Sunday after video emerged of its members shouting racist chants. The university condemned the video. (via CNN)

McDonald’s: The world’s largest restaurant company is having an identity crisis. A profile of the new chief executive officer shows his key challenge: Can McDonald’s be mass-market and satisfy Americans’ increasingly demanding tastes? (via The New York Times)

Food: Do people on food stamps make healthier food decisions? (via Mother Jones)

Unprogressive China: China arrested eight female activists who had been planning International Women’s Day celebrations. Men in one province, meanwhile, marched through a shopping mall in high heels. (Via Quartz)