Well, yes, having already observed the formal gagging of all National Park twitter accounts by the new administration because they tweeted out facts about the crowd size within the National Mall, an inevitable response arises.
The National Park Service should perhaps be politically neutral, and yes there were a couple of tweets that perhaps stepped over that line – that is debatable, a case can be made to argue that they were not. However, a response that involved the suspension of every single twitter account run by every single national park was not the way to address such concerns. That action has now inspired rather a lot of people to go rogue. There has now been an explosion of alternative twitter accounts that focus on facts and not “alternative facts”.
We should of course also note that Mr Spicer had yet another spicer fact – he announced to the media that the administration had not engaged with the National Park service regarding the tweets about crowd size … but that is of course now revealed to be yet another lie because Trump personally got on the phone to scream at the National Park chief about a couple of tweets.
Surfing the crest of this new twitter wave is @AltNatParkSer with 1.2 million followers, but note that they have switched their twitter account to now be @NotAltWorld …
Can't wait for President Trump to call us FAKE NEWS.
You can take our official twitter, but you'll never take our free time!
— NOT ALT WORLD (@NotAltWorld) January 25, 2017
GOOD NEWS EVERYONE!
The @CDCgov's #ClimateChange conference is back on, thanks to @algore!
https://t.co/2tFyqNNKjV— NOT ALT WORLD (@NotAltWorld) January 26, 2017
It was started by National Park employees, but they have now handed over control of the account to journalists and environmental activists …
Hello all!
We have taken over the group and will continue to run this account, advocating scientific and environmental interests.
— NOT ALT WORLD (@NotAltWorld) January 26, 2017
Several of us are environmental activists and two are journalists [our FACT checkers]. All of us are former scientists.
— NOT ALT WORLD (@NotAltWorld) January 26, 2017
Hi .@BBCNews Please amend your story to clarify ownership of this account was formally transferred TO journalists https://t.co/YQ7nDY5oNW https://t.co/S2xZKp7Ao9
— NOT ALT WORLD (@NotAltWorld) January 26, 2017
If you scan the feed it is still in many ways National Park themed, but now has a rather clear #science and #climateChange focus as well.
In the last 24 hrs @ScienceMarchDC has gained 124K followers & @AltNatParkSer has gained 578K–unbelievable!! #ScienceMarch #sciencematters
— GloryH (@XtinaLang) January 26, 2017
You can go right back through .@BadlandsNPS archive and find dozens of #climatechange related comments. What changed in a week? #politics
— NOT ALT WORLD (@NotAltWorld) January 26, 2017
Having started out as a rogue National Park account, they have now inspired others …
Prairie dogs' tiny hands are great for digging themselves into holes. That's a good thing for prairie dogs. Not so great for a president. pic.twitter.com/KQdtwgVGvk
— BadHombreLands NPS (@BadHombreNPS) January 26, 2017
A small incomplete list of rogue park accounts
Here is a list of some of the others …
- @BadHombreNPS – Unofficial feed of Badlands NP. Protecting rugged scenery, fossil beds, 244,000 acres of mixed-grass prairie & wildlife from two-bit cheetoh-hued despots.
- @AltForestServ The unofficial, and unsanctioned, #Resistance team for the U.S. Forest Service. Not an official Forest Service account, not publicly funded, citizen run.
- @AltHomesteadMon Resistance group for Homestead National Monument in Gage County, Nebraska. Uncensored and Unofficial! Spicy af. #RESIST Science Rocks!
- @AltYelloNatPark An unofficial group of employees scientists and activists, in and around Yellowstone national park. We will try and keep you informed, when others can’t.
- @AltMtRainierNPS Unofficial #Resistance Team – Mount Rainier National Park Service. Not taxpayer subsidized! Protecting what’s important…our freedom of speech!
- @NatParkUndrgrnd Not so official “Resistance” account defending scientific facts. We post the information Donald Trump censors.
- @AltVolcanoes_NP The Unofficial “Resistance” team of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Not taxpayer funded.
- @KLGRSeattleNPS Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park tells the story about Seattle’s role in the stampede to the Yukon gold fields.
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@AltCraterLakeNP Unofficial news from Crater Lake National Park. Not affiliated with the US Gov, not taxpayer funded. Employees of NPS do NOT run this account.
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@AltHooverNPS Absolutely-in-no-way-official Resistance team for the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site
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@YosemiteUprisin #Yosemite is a beautiful place. This account is dedicated to protecting it against the powers that be.
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@altMuirWoodsNPS Alternate Muir Woods profile run by former U.S. Forest Ranger citizen. Supporting Nat’l Parks and climate science!
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@AltCaNatlParks Unofficial resistance account fighting for science, research, and facts. No Alternative Facts Allowed
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@AltRockyNPS Unofficial account being held for people associated with RMNP. DM if you might be interested in participating. Not taxpayer funded. Tweets are our own opinions.
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@olympicRogueNPS Unofficial resistance account created for the Olympic National Park to protect what’s important. Not tax payer funded.
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@HotSpringsNPS The Resistance Account of America’s First Resort and Preserve. Account Run By Friends of HSNP. hsnationalpark@gmail.com
Lots more here …
Twitter is a powerful tool in action because it enables isolated individuals who face oppression to find each other …
.@AltForestServ @AltNatParkSer know any fed employees experiencing political intimidation? We want to hear from them https://t.co/1UzIUUP8gT
— Anna V. Smith (@annavtoriasmith) January 26, 2017
Lets be clear here – it is not just the National Parks
Others are doing the same. The BBC reports …
Twitter accounts – some set up by people claiming to work for US government agencies – have sprung up to “resist” President Trump on climate science.
Borrowing the names of organisations like Nasa and the Environmental Protection Agency they are directly attacking the president.
Mr Trump has called climate change a hoax.
The @RogueNASA account says it is the “unofficial ‘Resistance’ team of NASA”.
“Not an official NASA account. Not managed by gov’t employees. Come for the facts, stay for the snark,” the account declares.
.. There are also rogue accounts for the US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
They use similar phrases such as “resistance” to describe themselves and post a mixture of scientific information and attacks on Mr Trump.
Some of those running the other alternative accounts also claimed to be disgruntled government agency workers, at least going by their tweets.
…On Tuesday the official account of Badlands National Park in South Dakota started tweeting about global warming, but those posts were later deleted.
The people behind the @AltNatParkSer told us this inspired them to set up their Twitter account.
The other alternative accounts also appear to have been created after the Badlands tweets were deleted, while some official US national park accounts also tweeted about climate change on Wednesday.
… hence we now also have all these other rogue accounts popping up as well …
- @ActualEPAFacts He can take our official Twitter but he’ll never take our FREEDOM. Unofficial EPA resistance. #factsmatter
- @RogueNASA The unofficial “Resistance” team of NASA. Not an official NASA account. Not managed by gov’t employees. Come for the facts, stay for the snark.
- @ResistanceNASA We are a #Resist sect of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Not an official NASA channel.
- @altUSEPA The Unofficial “Resistance” team of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Not taxpayer subsidised! Environmental conditions may vary from alternative facts.
- @RoguePOTUSStaff The unofficial resistance team inside the White House. Not taxpayer subsidised! Alternative outlet, but the facts are real.
- @Alt_NIH Unofficial group of science advocates. Stand up for science, rights, equality, social justice, & ultimately, for the health of humanity.
- @Alt_CDC Unofficial unaffiliated resistance account by concerned scientists for humanity.
- @AltHHS Unofficial and unaffiliated resistance account by concerned scientists for humanity.
- @alt_fda Uncensored FDA
- @altFBI Serving an alternative form of justice. Not affiliated with the FBI, U.S. govt or its employees. Come for fact-based justice and policy-related information.
- @AlternativeNWS The Unofficial Resistance team of U.S. National Weather Service. Not taxpayer subsidized! Come for non-partisan science-based weather, water, and climate info.
- @Alt_FAA The Unofficial “Resistance” team of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. Safe and effective use of airspace. You’re safe with us 24/7/365. Not official.
- @ActualEPAFacts He can take our official Twitter but he’ll never take our FREEDOM. Unofficial EPA resistance. #factsmatter
- @ungaggedEPA Ungagged news, links, tips, and conversation that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is unable to tell you. Not directly affiliated with @EPA.
- @AltDptEducation Our schools and our children are sacred. We will not be silenced, we will not be bought out. Education is a right, and we will protect it.
- @RogueNOAA Research on our climate, oceans, and marine resources should be subject to peer [not political] review. *Not an official NOAA account*
- @altNOAA The Unofficial “Resistance” team of the NOAA. Account not tax payer subsidized. We study the oceans, and the atmosphere to understand our planet. #MASA
- @AltHomelandSec The unofficial alternative “resistance” team of the Department of Homeland Security. Not affiliated with DHS. #resist
- @AltDeptState What happens here, effects the entire world, and vice versa. Stay informed.
- @RogueED Here to educate the youth of America. Unofficial account. The #resistance is real. Rise up #resist
- @rogue_ALA Unofficial but totally not fake hot takes on what’s happening in Americas libraries under the Trump administration
- @rogueFEMA Unofficial real talk from the Friendly Earthling Management Agency. No government agencies were harmed in the creation of this twitter account.
Guidance
#FederalEmployees know your #rights. pic.twitter.com/UFTvs5ZOS8
— AltHomesteadMnmt (@AltHomesteadMon) January 27, 2017
For no particular reason: here is how to securely share information with NYT reporters. https://t.co/pRfMtSnoZ5
— Julie Bosman (@juliebosman) January 27, 2017
PSA: If you're a government scientist or employee and your work is being censored, consider this: https://t.co/GReCdOJb96
— Rogue NASA (@RogueNASA) January 26, 2017
Oh and one More Thing …
The guy in the national park service who went rogue and started all this has been unmasked, here is his picture …
Found the anti-authority rogue who's been tweeting from National Parks account. pic.twitter.com/LQBb8YxhIq
— Jesse McLaren (@McJesse) January 27, 2017