NCSE Evolution and Climate Education Update for 2015/05/15
Submitted by Peter Burns on Fri, 2015-05-15 17:41.
National Center for Science Education
(by NCSE Deputy Director Glenn Branch)
Dear friends of NCSE, The latest on Alabama's new antiscience bill. And a preview of The Third Horseman.
UPDATE FROM ALABAMA "Teachers and students could soon find themselves free to debate the strengths and weaknesses of the theory of evolution in public schools across Alabama if a bill introduced to the House this month becomes law," reported the Anniston Star (May 7, 2015), referring to House Bill 592. As NCSE previously reported, the bill identifies "biological evolution, the chemical orgins of life, and human cloning" as topics likely to "cause debate and disputation," and in effect would allow teachers to present whatever they pleased about such topics -- while preventing educational authorities from intervening. NCSE's Josh Rosenau told the Star, "Evolution is recognized as the foundation of modern biology. To single it out as if it's scientifically controversial is misleading and encourages teachers to skip out on this concept that students need if they want to be doctors or even patients in the 21st century." Rosenau also observed that, with no credible evidence that Alabama teachers are prevented from teaching science effectively, the bill seemed to be "a solution in search of a problem." Similarly, he told al.com (May 7, 2015) that the bill would make it harder for teachers and administrators "to stand up for the standards and what they know the best science to be." The bill's lead sponsor, Mack Butler (R-District 30), told the Star, "There is animosity to anything Christian. ... I'm just trying to bring back a little balance." Raw Story (May 7, 2015) noted that Butler explained on his Facebook page that his bill would "encourage debate if a student has a problem learning he came from a monkey rather than an intelligent design!" Susan Watson, the executive director of the ACLU of Alabama, told al.com, "This is a thinly-veiled attempt to open the door to religious fanatics who don't believe in evolution, climate change or other scientifically-based teaching in our schools." She added, "It also opens Alabama to costly litigation that it just cannot afford." Subsequently, al.com (May 8, 2015) editorialized, "The point is, what is the point of this bill? ... Can we just give Butler an "I love God" badge and let that be it? ... Let's focus on the real problems facing our state, rather than meddling in the classroom, where I'm sure there's been no groundswell from teachers complaining that they aren't free to discredit evolution." Similarly, a columnist for the Montgomery Advertiser (May 8, 2015) argued, "The goal of Butler's bill ... was to make it OK for some two-bit religious zealot posing as a biology teacher to fill kids' heads with debunked and ridiculous ideas. That's bad enough, but what's worse is that this bill, should it pass, will open the door to giving religious ideas the same standing in a classroom as scientific theory." HB 592 is still in the House Education Policy Committee. Joining Butler as sponsors are Will Ainsworth (R-District 27), Mike Ball (R-District 10), Allen Farley (R-District 15), Matt Fridy (R-District 73), Mac McCutcheon (R-District 25), Becky Nordgren (R-District 29), Kerry Rich (R-District 26), Rich Wingo (R-District 62), and Randy Wood (R-District 36). For Alabama's House Bill 592 (PDF), visit: http://alisondb.legislature.state.al.us/ALISON/SearchableInstruments/2015RS/PrintFiles/HB592-int.pdf For the stories in the Anniston Star, al.com, and Raw Story, visit: http://www.annistonstar.com/news/lawmaker-says-bill-would-open-debate-on-science-of-evolution/article_de49bc20-f50b-11e4-9ca0-c7b78560df12.html http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2015/05/anti-evolution_legislation_int.html http://www.rawstory.com/2015/05/alabama-lawmaker-my-bill-protects-kids-from-learning-they-came-from-a-monkey/ For the editorials in al.com and the Montgomery Advertiser, visit: http://www.al.com/opinion/index.ssf/2015/05/give_rep_butler_an_i_love_god.html http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/opinion/columnists/josh-moon/2015/05/08/biology-classes-stick-evolution/26989223/ And for NCSE's previous coverage of events in Alabama, visit: http://ncse.com/news/alabama A PREVIEW OF THE THIRD HORSEMAN NCSE is pleased to offer a free preview of William Rosen's The Third Horseman: Climate Change and the Great Famine of the 14th Century (Viking, 2014). The preview consists of chapter 1, "The Fury of the Northmen," which traces the career of the Vikings from their beginning to the Battle of Hastings. Rosen argues, "The great achievements of the Viking Age were almost entirely enabled by the impersonal workings of climate." The reviewer for Nature writes, "A kink in Europe's climate during the fourteenth century indirectly triggered a seven-year cataclysm that left six million dead, William Rosen reveals in this rich interweaving of agronomy, meteorology, economics and history. ... Rosen deftly delineates the backstory and the perfect storm of heavy rains, hard winters, livestock epidemics, and war leading to the catastrophe." For the preview of The Third Horseman (PDF), visit: http://ncse.com/book-excerpt For information about the book from its publisher, visit: http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/311068/the-third-horseman-by-william-rosen/9780670025893 WHAT'S NEW FROM THE SCIENCE LEAGUE OF AMERICA Have you been visiting NCSE's blog, The Science League of America, recently? If not, then you've missed: * Ann Reid criticizing Freeman Dyson's recent pronouncements on climate change: http://ncse.com/blog/2015/05/misconception-monday-freeman-dyson-offers-up-smorgasbord-0016353 * Glenn Branch discussing the anthem composed for Darwin's funeral: http://ncse.com/blog/2015/05/darwin-s-funeral-anthem-0016329 * Minda Berbeco relating how a teacher adopted a data-driven approach to teaching climate science: http://ncse.com/blog/2015/05/parent-trap-redux-0016354 And much more besides! For The Science League of America, visit: http://ncse.com/blog Thanks for reading. And don't forget to visit NCSE's website -- http://ncse.com -- where you can always find the latest news on evolution and climate education and threats to them. -- Sincerely, Glenn Branch Deputy Director National Center for Science Education, Inc. 420 40th Street, Suite 2 Oakland, CA 94609-2509 510-601-7203 x303 fax: 510-601-7204 800-290-6006 branch@ncse.com http://ncse.com Check out NCSE's new blog, Science League of America: http://ncse.com/blog Read Reports of the NCSE on-line: http://reports.ncse.com Subscribe to NCSE's free weekly e-newsletter: http://groups.google.com/group/ncse-news NCSE is on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter: http://www.facebook.com/evolution.ncse http://www.youtube.com/NatCen4ScienceEd http://twitter.com/ncse NCSE's work is supported by its members. Join today! http://ncse.com/join
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