Sometimes dissent takes unexpected forms, and a tweet by the Badlands National Park proves that subtle resistance can be very powerful, indeed.
The South Dakota park's Twitter account ordinarily features pictures of nature and inspiring quotes, with the occasional scientific fact peppered in.
But today the Trump administration imposed a media blackout on agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency and the USDA's Agricultural Research Service, and also rolled back some crucial policies that would undo President Obama's environmental legacy.
It seems like that didn't sit particularly well with the person overseeing the park's Twitter account, so they decided to show their opposition in a quiet yet daring way.
"Today, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is higher than at any time in the last 650,000 years. #climate," read a tweet posted earlier today. It was accompanied by other posts contextualizing the concentration of carbon in the atmosphere in the pre-industrial era and how the changes have affected the oceans.
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The posts spread like wildfire on Twitter, before being promptly deleted.
Many users thanked the anonymous person who was brave enough to post facts about climate change even though President Trump doesn't seem to believe the issue is real.
.@BadlandsNPS a) Thank you for promoting science.
— Weirdneal (@Weirdneal) January 24, 2017
b) When you inevitably get fired, let me know so I can pass your resume around.
@BadlandsNPS Thank you for the factual information. We're watching.
— Joe Harris (@joeharris) January 24, 2017
@BadlandsNPS Thank you for this. Thank you for not bending to a madman.
— Brian Scully (@brianscully) January 24, 2017
It's unclear whether the tweets will result in Badlands' social media editor being fired, or get the account suspended. It is also unclear who formally ordered them to be taken down.
But what is clear is that whoever is behind the account will be viewed, at least by some, as an American hero who dared to speak up.
@BadlandsNPS Stay strong, social media director at Badlands National Park. Stay strong.
— Stacy (@LaikaSpaceDog) January 24, 2017
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