This week, the Guardian obtained government emails via the Freedom of Information Act that reveal that the Trump administration has instructed staffers with the Department of Agriculture to stop using the term "climate change."
Instead of "climate change," employees are encouraged to say "extreme weather." And instead of saying "reduce greenhouse gases," employees are told to say "increase nutrient use efficiency."
The USDA has important climate-related work to do, particularly since warming temperatures are threatening the very crops that fuel Americans' diets. By preventing the staff from saying "climate change," how are they adequately going to address these mounting problems?
We ask the Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue to put a stop to this silly gag order and allow his staffers to conduct their ongoing work to protect American farms and foods. The Trump administration may want to downplay the significance of climate change, but it will leave the country at a great risk - don't let that be on your conscience, Secretary Perdue!
