Gainesville residents can now explore climate change over the past 70 million years at the Florida Museum of Natural History’s “Our Changing Climate: Past and Present” exhibit.
The free museum exhibit opened March 4 amid allegations that Florida Gov. Rick Scott told the Florida Department of Environmental Protection not to use the term “climate change” in reports.
“We are dismayed to hear that that was something the governor and his staff decided not to use and instructed the DEP not to use,” said Darcie MacMahon, the museum’s head of exhibits.
The exhibit uses graphs to highlight climate change research.
Julie Waters, an exhibit developer and research assistant for the museum, said it will include the age of the dinosaurs, the arrival of humans and the time periods of great civilizations.
“We’ve added in key events that we think will be interesting to visitors,” Waters said.
This is the first in a series of exhibits exploring science and world issues, such as invasive species, air quality and biodiversity — issues specific to Florida, Waters said.
Regardless of the disagreements surrounding what caused climate change, MacMahon said it’s important for Floridians to learn the effects of climate change.
“There is no controversy in the science community regarding climate change,” MacMahon said.
[A version of this story ran on page 1 on 3/13/2015 under the headline “Florida Museum opens climate exhibit”]
