The university where I work has just instituted a “common read” for incoming freshmen this fall semester. Everyone is to read “Falter” by Jim McKibben. Faculty are encouraged to participate in discussions of the book. A list of suggested questions was emailed to all of us to help us facilitate these discussions which will be organized when the semester begins. Questions such as what are the stances of the two political parties; how can we as individuals limit our carbon footprint, blah, blah, blah. I haven’t read the book, but McKibben’s notions as described in the reviews of the book that I’ve read are that the human race has come to the end if drastic action isn’t taken soon to reduce global warming. He’s even advocated violent civil unrest. And this is the hogwash impressionable undergraduates are being fed without any consideration of other points of view. So, they’re being told that it’s the end of the human race; that we’re all doomed. No wonder kids are taking drugs, killing themselves in increasing numbers, or cracking up and going on shooting rampages. This is simply abuse and if you disagree with the global warming fascists, you are branded as a climate denier and are punished for your heresy.