US energy department cracks down on workers' use of climate crisis language

"Please ensure that every member of your team is aware that this is the latest list of words to avoid and continue to be conscientious about avoiding any terminology that you know to be misaligned with the Administration's perspectives and priorities, says an email from an agency acting director obtained by Politico. Employees in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, which is the government's largest funder of carbon-slashing technologies, were told to avoid using the terms in both internal dealings and public-facing work."

"In addition to climate change, the banned terms include decarbonization, sustainable, emissions and green. Also on the list are energy transition, clean' or dirty' energy and carbon/CO2 Footprint'. Another set of words to be avoided: Tax breaks/tax credits/subsidies, probably because of the terms' association with Joe Biden's efforts to subsidize green technologies, which the administration is clawing back. Banning the use of these words would silence key elements of DOE's mission, one anonymous current agency staffer told the Guardian."

An agency acting director instructed Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy employees to avoid using terms such as climate change, decarbonization, sustainable, emissions, green, energy transition, clean or dirty energy, carbon/CO2 footprint, and tax breaks/tax credits/subsidies in both internal dealings and public-facing work. The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy is the government's largest funder of carbon-slashing technologies, and the terminology restrictions could limit communication about core program goals. An anonymous current agency staffer said banning these words would silence key elements of DOE's mission. Reports also allege Secretary Wright is freezing and cancelling programs that fund advanced solar, wind, and other clean energy research. The broader administration earlier advised agency leaders to avoid roughly 200 terms, including activism and injustice, raising concerns about internal censorship and impacts on climate policy implementation.

Read at www.theguardian.com