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Creationists seek to stop the teaching of global warming

Across the country, critics of evolutionary theory are introducing legislation that targets climate change and other scientific concepts.
By Bryan NelsonFri, Mar 05 2010 at 8:48 AM EST  16 Comments

DIVINE COMMAND: Many creationists believe only God has the power to affect the climate. (Photo: Genista/Flickr)
Critics of the practice of teaching evolution in science classrooms are taking up a new strategy: going after the teaching of global warming.
 
The New York Times reports that a bill recently introduced in Kentucky would encourage teachers to discuss "the advantages and disadvantages of scientific theories," including "evolution, the origins of life, global warming and human cloning."
 
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By linking the global warming debate with these other issues, proponents of the legislation have a two-pronged motive. First, it strengthens their legal argument. Courts have ruled that singling out evolution for criticism violates the separation of church and state, so going after global warming gives them a broader agenda and thus opens a legal loophole. Second, by riding the coattails of rising public doubt about climate science, creationists hope to legitimize their stance against the scientific establishment in general.
 
"Wherever there is a battle over evolution now, there is a secondary battle to diminish other hot-button issues like Big Bang and, increasingly, climate change. It is all about casting doubt on the veracity of science — to say it is just one view of the world, just another story, no better or more valid than fundamentalism," physicist Lawrence M. Krauss of the Origins Initiative at Arizona State University told the New York Times.
 
And the bill in Kentucky is only the latest in a string of legislative attempts across the country with similar intent. Just this week, a resolution passed in South Dakota that called for more "balanced" teaching of global warming in public schools, citing that "carbon dioxide is not a pollutant, but rather a highly beneficial ingredient for all plant life." Last year the Texas Board of Education required teachers to present all sides of the debate when discussing global warming, and in Oklahoma a bill much like Kentucky's was introduced.
 
Aside from sharing political and legal agendas, critics of global warming and critics of evolution may seem like improbable bedfellows. After all, what does global warming really have to do with creationism, and vice versa? But the two issues share a lot of cultural overlap.
 
For instance, a survey published in October by the Pew Research Center found that white evangelical Protestants were among those least likely to believe that there was "solid evidence" that the Earth was warming because of human activity. Rev. Jim Ball of the Evangelical Environmental Network, a religious group that accepts the science of global warming, noted that many Christian fundamentalists have difficulty accepting the reality of human-induced global warming because they believe only God has the power to alter the climate.
 
Yet despite the obstacles, climate scientists and educators are mounting a movement and counterstrategy of their own. The Climate Education Interagency Working Group, a group that consolidates the efforts of several federal agencies, is making a strong push under President Obama's leadership toward "climate literacy" for both teachers and students.
 
So long as science itself is not banned from the classroom, climate scientists and evolutionists alike still have one major advantage in the fight: sound, empirical evidence.
 
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    Earth changes and its reality

    Posted By Andi Prama - Sun, Mar 07 2010 at 1:27 AM EST

    Yesterday Hawaii Tsunami scientists prediction blown, today Western Europe winter storms exposed. In Madeira, the government of Portugal has declared the state of calamity. In France and Belgium there have been disasters. In the northern coast of Spain a cruise bumped into a 8 meter waves. France President, Nicolas Sarkozy, declared national disaster. Natural disasters are increasing in the whole planet more than ever.

    Please watch my video. It's about Earth Changes, caused by.... More

    Do The Right Thing

    Posted By JHA - Fri, Mar 05 2010 at 12:58 PM EST

    Why do all the critics of mainstream science use pressure politics and incite conspiracy-style theories to attempt to get their view in schools or enforced by law? Why not "do the right thing"? This is science after all, with a record of changing it's policy if the facts demand it. Einstein didn't write letters to the editor calling Newton followers greedy fools. He didn't start a campaign to force school boards to give equal time to relativity. He simply made his case and over time it was.... More

    Questioning the obvious

    Posted By Drew - Fri, Mar 05 2010 at 11:39 AM EST

    How can we continue to push forward with the idea of man made global warming when the so called expert Phil Jones of East Anglia University stepped down and now admits that the INFAMOUS hockey stick graph is not real!! Please read the link and stop buying into a myth that is being used to give the government unending power to legislate more taxes and fees on your household!
    .... More

    prove it

    Posted By AJA - Sat, Mar 06 2010 at 1:33 PM EST

    Read the research YOURSELF instead of reading headlines. Phil Jones never said the "hockey stick" was fake. This is nothing but MORONS taking things out of context and misrepresenting things all together.

    Now you conspracy idiots are so convinced that even if the North Pole completely VANISHES our lifetime, you are still convinced it is just natural for it to occur that quickly.

    There is no reasoning with retards on this. Just like the evolution debate, even if you face them with.... More

    exclusive views are wrong

    Posted By Arnold L Johnson - Fri, Mar 05 2010 at 11:24 AM EST

    Enter your comments here Science is right , so is the Bible. The earth is very old and who is to say how many creation and destruction cycles have passed before the present existence of man. Actually all that passed before our eyes is known and the rest is projection, theory, guesses and believing on faith that it might be true because it is sort of mention in the holy scriptures. But what we have construed as faith is misdirected toward validating or refuting science and we seek to use.... More

    Biggest picture.

    Posted By Tim - Fri, Mar 05 2010 at 11:15 AM EST

    For 90% of the Earths existence, the polar ice caps have NOT existed. Now that we are counting and logging temperatures, we are alarmed that our climate is changing..NO #&@! !! It has and always will change. Just because we are here, you expect everything to be constant. Is humanity causing the change, well that is quite arguable at this point exacerbated by the recent scandal. It has become a political religion to most, and that is the problem. Calling the other side names and pointing.... More

    change is one thing

    Posted By AJA - Sat, Mar 06 2010 at 1:40 PM EST

    Yes, change has always occured. But go back in the earth's history and find a period where it changed as fast as it is now (as in polar ice caps melting in less than 200 years) - you'll probably find extreme conditions for life during that time.

    Change is good, change that occurs faster than humans are prepared to adapt too as a whole is not good.

    Sad

    Posted By Joe - Fri, Mar 05 2010 at 11:09 AM EST

    I have to admit that I feel somewhat saddened reading this story. I am 23 years old, about to graduate a public college. Previously I spent my entire school career in Catholic school. Never once did any class besides religion/theology push the creationist theory, simple because it is ridiculous to do so. All science classes I have ever taken have taught evolution. If I didn't learn creationism in Catholic school, why should today's children learn of it in public school, where my tax.... More

    Don't Worry so much

    Posted By Bill - Fri, Mar 05 2010 at 10:13 AM EST

    Why is everyone so up in arms over this. god will come down right before the Earth starts to boil away and take us to a new Earth were we can all blindly follow random people b/c a random book told us too and live happily ever after...duh!

    Science vs Creationism

    Posted By Logic and Facts - Fri, Mar 05 2010 at 10:10 AM EST

    96% of scientists are atheists. And if you knew everything that scientists know you would have to start questioning things too. I am sorry but it is clear that evolution has taken place, 100% clear, and I am sorry but the bible is wrong, the earth is approximately 4.6 billion years old, not a few thousands years old. And we didn't live with the dinosaurs. The majority of all major religions share the exact same stories and even dates (Dec 25th)!!! Have an open mind, do your research,.... More

    God is Sad

    Posted By Matthew - Fri, Mar 05 2010 at 9:33 AM EST

    God is watching you creationists, rolling His eyes, thinking "How could I have created such pin-headed, dim humans?"

    Global warming is a political science

    Posted By Mandre - Fri, Mar 05 2010 at 9:21 AM EST

    Global Warming is a political agenda by the western governments, to prop up their GDP. AGW is not proved. IPCC has been proven again and again on its fall claims. Phil Jones east englia the main body of research has been proved to be a scam and Phil Jones has resigned.

    So teaching kids a propaganda called global warming is brain wash nothing else.

    Mark Andre Phd, Ivy League

    Dinosaurs

    Posted By Gabriel - Fri, Mar 05 2010 at 9:16 AM EST

    And next we'll teach our kids that we rode Dinosaurs, cause the earth is only 4,000 years old. And that T-Rex was like a Terrier. And how snakes are evil. If you don't believe in Evolution, I don't believe you deserve medicine for those viruses that evolve on a daily basis, you sir, will just die.

    Good point.

    Posted By Logic and Facts - Fri, Mar 05 2010 at 10:20 AM EST

    Darwin. Only the strong survive. If we let those people just die then maybe we could stop all of these wars over religion and we could all just live in peace. Wow what a crazy idea. Please don't kill someone because of your opinion. Just because you think you know what happens when we die doesn't mean you can kill someone because they don't agree with you!!!! That is nuts! Think about that! It is just your opinion, you don't know! I don't believe in God, I can't imagine killing someone.... More

    Take a look at what's happening around the world...

    Posted By Troy - Fri, Mar 05 2010 at 8:57 AM EST

    http://www.iceagenow.com

    junk science

    Posted By JBBW - Fri, Mar 05 2010 at 9:29 AM EST

    You really don't understand GW do you? It's an overall heating - you should expect some weird cold weather along with it. You have to step back and look at what's happening for the entire earth on average.

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