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Showing Original Post only (View all)FEMA To States: You Want Cash? Say Climate Change Is Real. SAY IT! [View all]
This is a BFD. They won't be able to hide their collective heads in the sand!
http://wonkette.com/580175/fema-to-states-you-want-cash-say-climate-change-is-real-say-it
FEMA To States: You Want Cash? Say Climate Change Is Real. SAY IT!
by Doktor Zoom
Mar 19 9:09 am 2015
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No Disaster Preparedness Funds for you!
In an elegant reply to politicians who arent scientists but dont mind ignoring experts who are, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has come up with a simple solution: States whose governors decide theres no need to plan for the consequences of a changing climate will no longer qualify for federal grants for emergency preparedness. For climate deniers like Louisianas Bobby Jindal, Floridas Rick Scott, or Texass Greg Abbott, its a pretty clear opportunity for them to put their coastlines and their populations where their mouths are. Governors who refuse to consider climate in their states hazard mitigation plans could lose hundreds of millions of dollars in FEMA money.
The new policy would only apply to grants aimed at disaster preparedness funding for FEMA assistance following natural disasters would not be affected.
Beginning in March 2016, states must assess how climate change may increase threats to their communities and include those estimates in hazard mitigation plans when they apply for federal preparedness funding. This could prove interesting for Florida, where state employees are literally not allowed to say climate change or global warming, or they have to put five bucks in the swear jar. (For second offenses, Gov. Scott personally shows up late at night to scare their children.) So were guessing Gov. Bat Boy is going to just kiss some big-time grant money goodbye, along with large tracts of Miami. And no, Sen. Inhofe, Oklahoma wont get any disaster preparedness money for Tornado Alley, even if you wrap up a snowball and mail it to FEMA.
FEMAs new guidelines make it clear that states need to take into account a range of possible effects from climate chance, regardless of how much oil companies have contributed to their governors election campaigns:
Good god. The federal government is telling the states theyll actually have to listen to scientists about risks from climate change, at least if they want to qualify for disaster preparedness funding. What sort of madness is this? Its as outrageous as insurance companies charging people more if they smoke!
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Dont be too surprised if this policy eventually gets portrayed on Fox News as FEMA forcing governors to sign a climate loyalty oath or some such bullshit, but lets be clear about what it really is: a demand that if you want to get money to prepare for disasters, you cant ignore preparing for the ones your wingnut constituents prefer to pretend arent real.
[Inside Climate News]