Produced by:
KBOO
Program::
Air date:
Thu, 03/19/2015 - 12:00am
Barton Bibler of Dept. of Environmental Protection reprimanded for mentioning climate change
As south Florida begins to sink below rising sea levels, the Governor Scott administration appears to be building a wall to protect itself from damaging information about the role that climate change is actually having. His offices in Tallahassee, located somewhat inland, appear to be safe for now from harsh reality.
Florida appears to be on the dangerous cutting edge of denialism and the suppression of inconvenient truth. A climate of fear, insecurity and stasis seems to pervade agencies charged with environmental protection and regulation.
In this complete version of an interview done by Paul Roland for the KBOO News on March 18, we hear about the case of a Florida state employee who was reprimanded and put on unpaid leave for two days for speaking publicly about climate change. Roland interviews Jerry Phillips, Director of the Florida office of Public Employees for Environmental responsibility (PEER).
Barton Bibler is a long-time Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) employee who serves as Land Management Plan Coordinator in the Division of State Lands.
When attending a public hearing, Bibler was directed by his superiors to remove any hot button issues, especially references to climate change.
He was then given a letter of reprimand for supposedly misrepresenting that the “official meeting agenda included climate change.”
The employee was suspended for two days and then given a “Medical Release Form” requiring that his doctor supply his boss with an evaluation of unspecified “medical condition and behavior” issues before being allowed to return to work.
On March 18, PEER sent a letter asking the Florida state government to open an investigation into how Bibler was handled.
More information: http://www.peer.org/news/news-releases/2015/03/18/scott%E2%80%99s-climate-change-gag-order-claims-a-victim/
Florida appears to be on the dangerous cutting edge of denialism and the suppression of inconvenient truth. A climate of fear, insecurity and stasis seems to pervade agencies charged with environmental protection and regulation.
In this complete version of an interview done by Paul Roland for the KBOO News on March 18, we hear about the case of a Florida state employee who was reprimanded and put on unpaid leave for two days for speaking publicly about climate change. Roland interviews Jerry Phillips, Director of the Florida office of Public Employees for Environmental responsibility (PEER).
Barton Bibler is a long-time Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) employee who serves as Land Management Plan Coordinator in the Division of State Lands.
When attending a public hearing, Bibler was directed by his superiors to remove any hot button issues, especially references to climate change.
He was then given a letter of reprimand for supposedly misrepresenting that the “official meeting agenda included climate change.”
The employee was suspended for two days and then given a “Medical Release Form” requiring that his doctor supply his boss with an evaluation of unspecified “medical condition and behavior” issues before being allowed to return to work.
On March 18, PEER sent a letter asking the Florida state government to open an investigation into how Bibler was handled.
More information: http://www.peer.org/news/news-releases/2015/03/18/scott%E2%80%99s-climate-change-gag-order-claims-a-victim/
- KBOO
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