The director issuing these statements, Bianca Moebius-Clune, stressed that this wouldn't alter the scientific modeling, just how it's discussed. Still, some in the organization aren't happy. One staffer was worried that altering the language would jeopardize the "scientific integrity of the work." That's not without merit: shortly after Trump's inauguration, NRCS deputy chief Jimmy Bramblett warned that air quality research relating to greenhouse gases "could be discontinued."

That the current US administration would frown on the mere mention of climate change isn't surprising. Just ask the EPA. And really, this is an extension of what Florida saw when Governor Rick Scott banned official talk of climate change in 2015 -- the political leadership is pretending an issue doesn't exist by refusing to say its name. However, the emails illustrate both how this censorship takes place and the extent to which it's voluntary. In the USDA's case, it's likely a defensive tactic. The department wants to avoid incurring the White House's wrath, which could put vital science initiatives in jeopardy.