Transcript Climate Change Denial

NCSE’s New Climate
Change Education
Initiative
Mark McCaffrey & Josh
Rosenau
Programs and Policy
Directors
http://ncse.com
• Non-profit membership organization
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devoted to defending science education
at local, state and national levels.
Focus primarily on defending the teaching
of evolution and climate change
4500 members including scientists,
teachers, clergy, and citizens with diverse
religious and political affiliations
Often work behind the scenes
Counter-denialism
ecosystems
Niche
Scientific
analysis
Evolution
Panda’s
Thumb
Global warming
Real Climate
Skeptical
Rebuttals
TalkOrigins
Science
Legal/lobbying ACLU, AU, etc. Enviro. groups
Positive edu.
content
Understanding
Evolution
Climate Literacy & Energy
Awareness Network,
advocacy groups, EPA,
NOAA, NASA websites
Combatting
bad edu.
NCSE
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Challenges to Climate Change
Education
• Climate
change
is
NRC
Workshop
Report
2011
complicated, rife with popular
misconceptions
• Climate change is
inherently
cross-disciplinary and should
be taught throughout across
the curriculum
• It hasn’t been well
coordinated (or represented in
standards)
• It has been politically
polarized
Related
Issues
• Emotional and
psychological/sociological
challenges
• Absent/underrepresented in
standards and curriculum
• Taught in brief “drive-by”
fashion
• Taught as controversy, giving
Pillars of Creationism
Evolution is a
“theory in crisis”
Evolution and religion
are incompatible
It’s only “fair” to teach
creationism with evolution
Pillars of climate change
denial
Climate change is weak
science
Climate change is anticapitalist
Unfair to impose climate
solutions until everyone
agrees
Some scientists believe that adding CO2 to the
atmosphere…from burning coal…will…make the
earth’s climate become warmer… Other scientists
do not believe this is likely, or have said the climate
is made up of many complex factors we do not fully
understand. … More time is needed for researchers
to gather information on these questions.
Global warming may or may not be a problem.
Man may or may not be driving it. Given the
uncertainties, a significant amount of global regret
may apply if we divert too much of our global
wealth to solving what may be a non-existent or
trivial problem, especially if that diversion mires
billions in poverty.
On the other hand, we may also regret not doing
anything if man-made global warming does turn
out to be a problem.
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Environmentalism and climate change are a new
religion.
Their policies are devastating to the world’s poor.
They threaten the sanctity of life.
They target our youth with a global vision.
James 4:7: “Submit therefore to God. Resist the
devil and he will flee from you.”
Teach the Controversy!
(“Academic Freedom”
• “Critical Thinking”
Bills)
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Singles out evolution, climate change
Undermines nature of science
Permission slip for climate change denial,
etc.
“Academi
c
freedom”
acts
40+ bills since 2004
13 states introduced
1 bill passed
5 filed in 2012 alone
“shall not be
construed” to
promote religion
“full range of views,”
“rights” of students &
teachers; “alternative
theories”
“critical
analysis,”
“strengths &
weaknesses”
; permissive;
adds global
warming,
cloning, etc.
Texas stds.,
local policies
in
CA, MT, WI,
etc.
Tennessee
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Questioning the
Science
“Should the public come to believe that the
scientific issues are settled, their views about
global warming will change accordingly.
Therefore, you need to continue to make the
lack of scientific certainty a primary issue in the
debate.”
“Winning the Global Warming Debate: An
Overview” 2002 Memo for GOP Congressional
Candidates, Luntz Research Companies.
States of Denial:
Knowing about Atrocities and Suffering
(Cohen 2001)
1)Literal (It’s not
happening)
2)Interpretive (It’s
happening but not what
you think)
3)Denying the implications
Religious
Political
Conservatives Religious Conservatives
Right
Anti-Global Warming
http://globalchange.gov/resources/educators
http://globalchange.gov/resources/educators
Good News:
Next Generation
Science Standards
are coming!
How important do you think improving the
quality of science education in our public
schools is to our country’s ability to compete
globally?
Extremely important Very important Somewhat important Not important
Public Opinion Strategies and Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Resear
What grade would you give
science education in public
schools?
Public Opinion Strategies and Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Resear
Clifton Park, NY
• Parent contacts NCSE: “My
daughter’s 9th grade Earth Science
teacher is doubt-mongering the
scientific consensus that climate
change is occurring and is mainly due
to human activity.”
• NCSE guides parent through school
bureaucracy, puts her in touch with
local science education leaders.
• Teacher agrees to stop undermining
climate science.
What
NCSE
does/can
• Assist in local flareups, track and collate flareup
data
do
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Support, train, and engage local activists
Build networks of scientists, lawyers, clergy,
businesses, activists, policymakers
Develop and lobby for good standards
Lobby against bad bills and for good ones
Connect teachers with good educational
materials
Analyze and refute denialist educational
materials
Serve as clearinghouse for media, activists,
Climate Change 101: Is the
climate changing?, Is it because
of humans?, What will the
effects be?,
What canClimate
we do? Change: Principles,
Teaching
Communicating CC to students, Countering
climate confusion, Addressing denial and doubt
in the classroom, Making it relevant, Resources
for teachers
Climate Change Denial: Pillars of denial, How
denial affects our schools, Why is it called
denial?
Taking Action: Defending/Supporting
climate change education, Voices for climate
change, Advice on letters to the editor/public
testimony, Why climate change isn’t taught
http://ncse.com
http://facebook.com/evolution.ncse
http://twitter.com/ncse