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Farmers are on the front lines of climate change. The people who grow the food we eat deserve clear, candid scientific advice on coping with global warming and the growing threat drought and extreme weather pose to American agriculture.

But such honest counsel, it turns out, wont come from the Trump administration. A recently revealed series of emails shows that U.S. Department of Agriculture experts who help farmers deal with manmade warming were told after President Trump took office to stop using terms like climate change and reduce greenhouse gases.

This alarming act of scientific censorship might have stayed a bureaucratic secret but for one thing: Americas powerful public records law, which has become a truly vital tool in revealing the grim details of Trumps war on climate science and the environment.

My organization, the Center for Biological Diversity, used the Freedom of Information Act to obtain these remarkable emails sent to staff at the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), a component of the USDA that provides land-conservation assistance to farmers.

The USDA emails have ignited a firestorm of controversy because they reveal the Trump administrations stark impact on language used by agency staff. NRCS leadership instructed employees to describe their work without any reference to climate change, instead describing weather extremes and eliminating any reference to human causes.

But obtaining those incriminating communications which are clearly public records was no easy task.

As an attorney specializing in public records law, I am profoundly grateful for the Freedom of Information Act, a landmark law that provides Americans with the right to know what their government is up to.

Yet in just the first six months of Trumps presidency, Ive been flabbergasted by his administrations dogged determination to avoid complying with this critically important law.

After the center submitted its FOIA request to the USDA in early April, the agency blocked the release of records under an exemption so abused by the government that some have labeled it the withhold it because you want to exemption.

The center was forced to appeal the NRCSs withholdings of information. We pointed out that officials failed to conduct an adequate search for responsive records and improperly redacted information.

As a result of the centers appeal the NRCS finally released 65 pages of records without redaction.

In other public records cases, weve actually had to sue. Indeed, weve filed 10 lawsuits to force the Trump administration to comply with its legal duty to make public records available to the public.

For example, the center sued the Environmental Protection Agency for failing to provide public records of closed-door meetings between the agency, states and industry groups regarding Trumps weakened wetlands regulations under the Clean Water Act. Those changes could potentially eliminate protections for millions of acres of wetlands, which are critical to water purification and provide habitat for hundreds of endangered species.

Weve also had to sue the EPA, Department of Energy, Department of the Interior and Department of State for failing to provide records addressing the censorship of words or phrases related to climate change in formal agency communications, violating deadlines established under the law.

We dont yet have the full picture of Trumps scientific censorship, since were still waiting for many federal agencies to release public records.

Yet one thing seems clear: The administrations opposition to transparency is closely connected to its desire to censor climate scientists and other federal experts. An administration that favors alternative facts over the truth is naturally determined to operate under the cover of darkness.

Thankfully, we have an open records law that can reveal disturbing realities like the fact that the climate-deniers now running our federal government are so determined to ignore science that theyll avoid telling farmers about climate changes increasingly potent threats to our food supply.

Thats not a pleasant thing to know, but its critical for Americans to have the full facts about the Trump administrations alarming attacks on truth.

Meg Townsend is an open government attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, a non-profit advocacy organization focused on protecting at-risk species and protecting thelands, waters and climatethose species need to survive.

The views expressed by contributors are their own and are not the views of The Hill.

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How to fight Trump's climate science censorship - The Hill (blog)

New street art mocks Google's decision to reject those who "Think Different".

Artwork mocking Google for its oppressive censorship is popping up all over the Los Angeles area, near Googles office in Venice, California.

Earlier this week, Google fired one of its engineers, James Damore, after he wrote a 10-page memo criticizing the way the tech giant treated female employees as well as the companys crippling level of liberal bias. In the memo, Damore pointed out the fact that men and women are different, and argued Googles refusal to recognize these differences and embrace them was hurting the company. The memo was distorted by members of the media as an anti-diversity tirade, when in reality, as many social scientists pointed out,science backs up Damores statements.

Portions of the memo violate our Code of Conduct and cross the line by advancing harmful gender stereotypes in our workplace, Google CEO Sundar Pichai wrote in a memo earlier this week.

Right-wing street artist Sabo took credit for the work in a series of tweets blasting the tech company.

Last night, news broke that Google cancelled an all hands on deck meeting about Damores firing out of fear that it would leak to the media. New York Times columnist David Brooks called for Pichai to resign. And Damore has taken to the pages of the Wall Street Journal to explain why he was fired.

Originally posted here:
Artwork Mocking Google's Censorship Just Started Popping Up In California - The Federalist

Dear Pahlaj Nihalani,

So long. Farewell.

I am sad to see you go. I hope you know that you will be missed. The last two-year-and-a-half years weve spent together have been so memorable.

Pahlaj Nihalani. File Photo

It seems like just yesterday when you took over from Leela Samson, who had suddenly resigned over the cinematic masterpiece MSG: The Messenger of God. Samson, along with 12 members of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), quit amid complaints of political interference and corruption. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, minister for Information and Broadcasting and a rare piece of eye candy in the corridors of power in Delhi, made all the right noises.

Read on Firstpost Pahlaj Nihalani removed as CBFC chief: A look at some of his most controversial decisions

No government or political interference in the CBFC is what Rathore promised. Then he promptly named you, Mr Nihalani, a self-confessed BJP person, who has called Prime Minister Narendra Modi his action hero and the voice of the nation to head the board. Detractors said you were being awarded for the viral video Har Har Modi, Ghar Ghar Modi (launched before the 2014 general elections). That same Diwali, you proved all your critics right by releasing 'Mera Desh Hai Mahaan', another tribute to Modi. If this is chamchagiri (sycophancy) then I am proud of it, you said. As a wise woman (fine, it was Taylor Swift) once said, Haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate so you kept shaking it off.

In this short time, you gave us #SanskaariJamesBond and a U/A certificate to the childrens film The Jungle Book. You worked tirelessly, against public opinion, to protect our weak, impressionable minds from hearing un-sanskaari words like 'intercourse' and watching lady-oriented films. And, then there were all those homosexual films (Unfreedom, Ka Bodyscapes, Aligarh)! All you were trying to do was preserve the fabric of our parampara. After all, like you said, India is a land where people put Gangajal on their face.

The press might have loved you but Bollywood definitely didnt. But they should! The Udta Blank (I agree with you, Mr Nihalani. Using a states name in a film about the drug epidemic in that state is wrong) fracas brought together an industry thats always been divided. Your demand for 89 cuts is what brought Mahesh Bhatt, Imtiaz Ali, Zoya Akhtar and Anurag Kashyap on the same platform.

This, for me, will always be your biggest contribution to Bollywood. Even greater than Anil Kapoor pulling his lungi and singing Khada Hai, khada hai, khada hai while trying to lure Juhi Chawla into bed.

Its such a shame your three-year tenure was so abruptly cut short. There was so much more we still needed you to censor and ban. You promised to censor films online. And, what about films that dont get censored before they are screened at international film festivals? Who will ban smoking and drinking on screen? *sob*

In your place, we now have Prasoon Joshi, a writer of poems and new-fangled ads. Will he even know that words like saala and saali need to be banned or how long a sanskaari kiss should be? Will he cut the troublesome Anurag Kashyap down-to-size? Will he be dictatorial and love Modi as much as you did? Like you, I also hope that your successor doesnt succumb to false notions of liberalism propagated by the pseudo-progressive elements in our film industry and work in a direction opposed to mine.

The age of Sanskaari Nihalani has come to an end. The only thing stopping me from collapsing into a puddle of tears is your promise I am returning to my first love, film production, in a big way.

Lets not say our final goodbyes as yet. I have a feeling well meet again soon.

Yours truly,

Karishma Upadhyay

Continue reading here:
Pahlaj Nihalani, farewell: Your brand of sanskaari censorship will be missed (not) - Firstpost

Donald TrumpDonald John TrumpColbert questions Trump: What's tougher than 'fire and fury'? Trump's DC hotel exceeds expectations making M so far in 2017 Graham on North Korea: 'If we have to, we'll go to war' MOREs attempts to undermine the First Amendment are undoubtedly troubling. But his attacks on the First Amendment are only part of the story. Trump is also stifling unbiased data and research that is coming from his own administration, and that is even more worrisome than his ongoing fake news crusade.

Silencing dissent and basic scientific data and research, all in the name politics, is behavior fit for a dictatorship, not a democracy, and Congress should act immediately to protect research and data, as well as whistle-blowers who are sounding the alarm on Trumps censorship, before its too late.

This week it was reported that the Department of Agriculture stopped using the term climate change and has been instructed to use the term weather extremes instead. Further, the USDA had to replace the phrase reduce greenhouse gases with the completely ambiguous build soil organic matter, increase nutrient use efficiency. Were in the middle of the second hottest year on record and the president wont let the federal government talk about it in words that actual humans can understand.

Government scientists fear Trump will suppress climate change study: report https://t.co/U3RR9Edsqm pic.twitter.com/bieBBNbpgl

In fact, one of Trumps first actions as president was to gag employees at the Environmental Protection Agency, Interior Department, Department of Agriculture, and Department of Health and Human Services agencies that are responsible for informing the public about climate change from publishing press releases, blog posts, or otherwise publicizing upcoming public events. The employees at these agencies were informed that they could not even send correspondence to other public officials and instead would have to go through senior officials who were reportedly instructed to wait until they received instructions from the White House.

President Trumps climate censorship extends to the Department of Energy and the State Department, too. In March it was reported that a supervisor at the DOEs Office of International Climate and Clean Energy instructed staff not to use the phrases climate change, emissions reduction, or Paris Agreement," while just this week it was reported Secretary of State, and former ExxonMobil CEO, Rex TillersonRex Wayne TillersonChuck Todd: Gorka a menace to other staff White House aide insists he was criticizing 'fake news' journalists, not Tillerson State responds to Gorka, says Tillerson carries a 'big stick' MORE, told U.S. diplomats to give vague answers about re-entering the Paris Agreement. How can we join with our allies around the world to address one of the biggest global threats we face if we cant even discuss it?

Trump's Agriculture Department telling staffers to stop using the term "climate change" https://t.co/6cUFX2Cg39 pic.twitter.com/OY4sUrrl5W

Clearly, scientists share this fear because a draft of a comprehensive climate change report written by scientists from 13 federal agencies was leaked out of fear that Trump would try to suppress the findings. The report provides some of the strongest evidence to date that humans are primarily responsible for rising global temperatures since 1951 and therefore must immediately take large-scale corrective action. This finding stands in stark contrast to President Trump and the climate-change skeptics Scott Pruitt and Rick PerryJames (Rick) Richard PerryOPINION | Trumps climate change censorship puts us all at risk Five takeaways from the federal climate report Dems face fundamental problem in Texas: Getting people to vote MORE he has put in charge of the EPA and Department of Energy, respectively, who argue human impact is minimal-to-non-existent.

The Trump administration's concerted climate censorship attack is a threat to our standing in the world, our preparedness to deal with a global crisis, and to our economy. A study by a team of scientists and economists published in the June 30th edition of "Science," the journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, found, essentially, "the warmer it gets, the bigger the hit to the economy" and if global warming continues unchecked it could result in up to six points off of the United States' gross domestic product by the end of the century.

Trump's EPA head casts doubt on "supposed threat" of climate change https://t.co/1NAZQpbSM5 pic.twitter.com/Qk8v1PZo7Z

The study predicts that the hardest hit regions in the United States will be the South and the Midwest, which could reportedly face "huge damage to their local economies, due to enormous electric bills, dying crops, or mass migration away from the area, a warning that we cannot in good conscience ignore.

If left unchecked, Trump will continue to use censorship to remake the federal government in his own distorted image. We cannot let that happen, and every American has a responsibility to speak out against these reckless attacks on science, research, and transparency.

That starts with Congress, who has a constitutional responsibility to serve as a check on the Executive Branch, particularly when it comes to partisan overreach. They should act to protect researchers and scientists who should be able to work independently of political interference. Research shouldnt be politicized and scientific findings shouldnt be silenced to serve a presidents partisan agenda.

Emily Aden is the rapid response director of American Bridge, a progressive research and communications organization. Follow her on Twitter @emad16.

The views expressed by contributors are their own and not the views of The Hill.

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OPINION | Trump's climate change censorship puts us all at risk - The Hill (blog)

The alt-right supporters of James Damore, the fired Google engineer who authored the so-called anti-diversity memo, are planning nationwide protests on Googles US campuses.

The first demonstrations are slated to happen on Aug. 19 at five locations: Mountain View, California, where Google is headquartered; New York City; Washington, DC; Austin, Texas; and Boston, Massachusetts. A website for organizing the details for #MarchOnGoogle says it plans to hold protests at every Google office. The organizers note that demonstrators might exercise their right to free speech by protesting in front of the homes of Googles executive team.

A company representative tells Quartz that it is aware of the upcoming protests, but has declined to comment or say if it would try to stop them. The protest organizers could not be reached for comment.

The protests are meant to raise awareness on how Google does not respect freedom of speech and censors dissenting voices on its video-sharing site YouTube, according to the website. (To the ire of far-right radicals, YouTube does police hate speech.) Google canceled a town-hall meeting for its 60,000 employees at the last minute on Aug. 10, citing concerns for their safety, after the names of some staff were leaked to right-wing sites.

Organizers have also invited Damore, who was fired on Aug. 7, to speak. At the heart of the brouhaha is an internal email he wrote that went viral when it leaked to the media. In it he questioned Silicon Valleys efforts to boost diversity, calling them a form a discrimination, and argued that techs gender gap was partly due to biological differences between men and women.

Damore, who has said he is considering his legal options, has not publicly commented on whether he will attend or speak at any of the rallies. A Twitter account that appeared to belong to him recently posted photos of a man wearing a shirt emblazoned with Goolag and holding a sign that reads Fired for truth on Googles Mountain View campus.

Continued here:
The alt-right is planning to protest Google's censorship with nationwide rallies on its US campuses - Quartz