The terms "climate change" and "global warming" are apparently not allowed for use by officials at the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) in Florida, one of the states most ravaged by the effects of global warming, during official correspondence in communications and emails, says the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting.

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This "unwritten" policy has allegedly been in effect since 2011 during the term of Republican governor, Rick Scott.

According to Christopher Byrd, a former attorney with DEP's Office of General Counsel in Tallahassee, they were told not to use terms such as "climate change", "global warming" or "sustainability". This message was communicated to Byrd and his colleagues by their superiors at the Office of General Counsel.

According to Kristina Trotta, also another former DEP employee in Miami, employees were also given the message that had come from the governor's office. Trotta reportedly told FCIR they were instructed by their regional administrator and were no longer permitted to use the terms "global warming" or "climate change" and even "sea-level rise". Sea level rise should be addressed as "nuisance flooding".

According to the National Climate Assessment report of 2014, the Caribbean and the southeastern states of the U.S., including Florida, are highly vulnerable to floods caused by rising sea levels.

The report details an imminent threat of increasing inland flooding during heavy rains, especially in low lying coastal areas such as southeastern Florida. This threat involves just inches of sea levels rising that can cause impairment to storm water drainage systems' capacity to empty water into the ocean.

Furthermore, the report also reveals agricultural areas around the Miami-Dade County and southern Louisiana apparently have shallow groundwater tables that are at risk of increasing inundation and ultimately, a loss of cropland spanning 37,550 acres in Florida accompanied by a 27 inch sea level rise.

Last November, Rick Scott was re-elected and has declined to answer whether or not he believes the effects of man-made climate change. In May 2014, he was also asked about his stand on anthropogenic climate change and Scott reportedly said that he's "not a scientist".

TagsFlorida, Most Affected U.S. State by Climate Change: Bans Use of Terms "Climate Change" and "Global Warming", US, Florida, global warming, florida bans use of terms climate change global warming, Rick Scott