Michael Mann works as a professor at Penn State University. The director of the Earth System Science Center has been receiving threats and is now worried about what will happen to him and the area of science when Donald Trump is in charge of the country. One of his pieces of work is about how the denial of climate change is threatening the planet.
Soon after that report was released, Mann started getting death threats. Officers arrived at his office on campus and put police tape across his door. Other professors walked by in awe as to what had happened. Mann was simply opening mail that he received in 2010.
A white powder fell from one of the letters that he was reading. At the time, threats of anthrax being in letters that were sent to politicians were swirling around.
As soon as Mann saw the powder, the walked form his office to go wash his hands. He tried not to breathe. The substance was only cornstarch. Mann’s research involves global warming, and while many people don’t find this area threatening, there are some who don’t want to face reality.
Studies involving climate change have received federal funding, which is why Mann is fearful of what will happen once Trump is in office as he seems to be against the idea.