The state of Florida has quietly banned the use of the words “climate change” and “global warming” from all official correspondence.

First reported in an article by Tristram Korten, officials at the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the same agency who is tasked to study the climate and prepare for natural disasters were told that they were “not allowed to discuss anything that was not a true fact.”

“We were told not to use the terms ‘climate change,’ ‘global warming’ or ‘sustainability,’ ” said Christopher Byrd, an attorney with the DEP’s Office of General Counsel in Tallahassee from 2008 to 2013. “That message was communicated to me and my colleagues by our superiors in the Office of General Counsel.” – As reported by the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting

The unwritten rule went into effect after Gov. Rick Scott took office in 2011. The policy includes all official communications, emails and reports and has implications on educational efforts and public policy.

The irony has not been lost on the general public that the Governor of the state that could potentially face some of the largest impacts from climate change, due to its long coast lines, expansive wetlands, sensitive coral reefs, and low lying coastal cities is in full climate change denial mode.