South Duh-kota, hang your head in shame (HCR 1009: only teach kids about global warming 'theory')

Science Blogs ^ | 2/25/10 | PZ Myers

[Libloather]

South Duh-kota, hang your head in shame
Posted on: February 25, 2010 3:57 PM, by PZ Myers

The South Dakota senate has been wrestling over an important resolution, HCR 1009. Here's the original text. It will look rather familiar to anyone who has seen creationist bills roll through a legislature.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the House of Representatives of the Eighty-fifth Legislature of the State of South Dakota, the Senate concurring therein, that the South Dakota Legislature urges that instruction in the public schools relating to global warming include the following:

(1) That global warming is a scientific theory rather than a proven fact;

(2) That there are a variety of climatological, meteorological, astrological, thermological, cosmological, and ecological dynamics that can effect [sic] world weather phenomena and that the significance and interrelativity of these factors is largely speculative; and

(3) That the debate on global warming has subsumed political and philosophical viewpoints which have complicated and prejudiced the scientific investigation of global warming phenomena; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Legislature urges that all instruction on the theory of global warming be appropriate to the age and academic development of the student and to the prevailing classroom circumstances.

Notice the "just a theory" clause, and the "alternative theories" clause (which includes "astrological"! and "thermological," whatever that is), and the "just an opinion" clause. That is one jaw-droppingly stupid resolution.

**SNIP**

They missed the irony of passing a political resolution protesting the politicization of a scientific issue, however. It's still just a gang of conservative politicians trying to force equal consideration for discredited alternative nonsense in the public schools.

I'm still wondering if any South Dakota teachers will be presenting the astrological evidence against climate change in their classrooms, though.

[Libloather]

Looks like the Maha reads FR. From today -

NY Times in 1989: No Warming In US Since 1895

RUSH: There is a piece that we dug up: January 26th, 1989, New York Times. Headline: "US Data Since 1895 Fail to Show Warming Trend." So in 1989 the New York Times ran a story saying that using data, US data since 1895 "failed to show" any warming.

http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_030110/content/01125104.guest.html

[JustaDumbBlonde]

Having been to South Dakota recently, I can attest that there is no warming of any kind happening ... period.

[grey_whiskers]

Yeah, that's the twit.

Cheers!