References to “Climate Change” Removed from Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ Website

References to “Climate Change” Removed from Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ Website

On December 28, 2016, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal reported that several references to “climate change” had been removed from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resource’s website. The changes affect a page titled “The Great Lakes and a Changing World.” Prior to December 2016, the page included the following statement:

“Earth’s climate is changing. Human activities that increase heat-trapping (greenhouse) gases are the main cause.”

On or around December 21, that language was removed, and replaced with the following statement:

“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.”

At the same time, a section stating that climate change “could have severe” effects on the Great Lakes was removed, and replaced with a statement that possible effects “are being debated.”

Also in December 2016, a teaching guide on climate change was removed from the Department of Natural Resources’ website.