Wisconsin DNR Website Omits Humans as Cause of Climate Change
DNR Logo | Photo Courtesy of legis.wisconsin.gov

Wisconsin DNR Website Omits Humans as Cause of Climate Change

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has removed any mention of human-caused climate change from their website. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel believes these changes were made around Dec. 21 of 2016.

One of the most prevalent changes in language on the DNR website takes place on a page which was previously titled, “Climate Change and Wisconsin’s Great Lakes.” Now the title of the article has been changed to, “The Great Lakes and a Changing World.”

The information provided on the page states, “As it has done throughout the centuries, the earth is going through a change. The reasons for this change at this particular time in the earth’s long history are being debated and researched by academic entities outside the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.”

The DNR website still has a section dedicated to environmental protection. The listed information includes advice on air quality, cleanup and redevelopment, managing waste materials, recycling and composting. These sections leave out information on the human contributions to global climate change.

One of the reasons for the removal of human-caused climate change language is due to the lack of unanimous scientific consensus. Although 97 percent of climate scientists agree that increased greenhouse gas levels are caused by humans, the Wisconsin government does not acknowledge that on their websites.

When asked why he thought the DNR removed mentions of human-caused climate change Ryan Petro, recent business administration graduate, said, “Well I’m not surprised, the Scott Walker administration has been very anti-environment its whole time in office.”

Governor Walker’s track record shows that the environment is not his number one priority. Environmentalist groups and the Governor’s office are constantly at odds with each other over policies impacting the state’s natural resources.

The lack of climate change on the DNR website has been blamed on the Governor. This is because Walker appoints the executive DNR staff, therefore his administration has a lot of control over the department and how they present information to the public.

With graduates from the College of Natural Resources commonly working in professions similar to the DNR, the sudden change in language is troubling.

Joe Denecke, junior wildland fire science major, said, “I’m trying to make the world a better place. But when people try denying the fact that humans contribute to climate change; it’s just upsetting and aggravating.”

In response to the climate change censorship, a group of UW-Madison professors have issued a public letter to the DNR expressing their concerns.

The Department of Natural Resources has a responsibility to protect Wisconsin’s natural resources by working with and educating citizens. Madison faculty are worried that the DNR will not be making educated policy decisions if they ignore scientific facts.

In the letter the faculty state that, “The Wisconsin DNR has a responsibility to accurately inform the public about the challenges presented by climate change. Citizens rely on the Department of Natural Resources for information regarding ecosystem management. Without any mention of anthropogenically caused climate change, the public’s understanding of the issue may decrease.”

Regardless of the political debate on anthropogenically caused climate change, this sudden climate censorship has shifted the public’s opinion on the credibility of the DNR.

 

Genevieve Adamski

Environment Editor

gadam590@uwsp.edu

 

 

 

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