NCSE Evolution and Climate Education Update for 2017/09/29
(by NCSE Deputy Director Glenn Branch)
Dear friends of NCSE, A new report on Latino attitudes toward climate change, and the latest reactions to the flawed set of state science standards proposed in New Mexico. Plus changes on NCSE's board of directors; congratulations to Michael E. Mann; and NCSE is seeking a director of development.
POLLING LATINOS ON CLIMATE CHANGE "Latinos are much more engaged with the issue of global warming than are non-Latinos," according to a new report from the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. "Latinos are more convinced global warming is happening and human-caused, more worried about it, perceive greater risks, are more supportive of climate change policies, and are more willing to get involved politically." Asked "Do you think that global warming is happening?" 84% of Latino respondents said yes, while 6% said no and 10% indicated that they did not know; 70% of non-Latino respondents said yes, while 14% said no and 17% indicated that they did not know. Asked about the primary cause of global warming, 70% of Latino respondents said that it is caused mostly by human activities, while 21% said that it caused mostly by natural changes in the environment; among non-Latino respondents the split was 56% to 31%. Asked about the scientific consensus on global warming, 63% of Latino respondents said that most scientists think global warming is happening, while 15% said that there is a lot of disagreement among scientists; among non-Latino respondents the split was 49% to 28%. The results for Latinos were based on a survey conducted May 18 to June 8, 2017, among 2054 Latino adults -- defined as those self-identifying as "Mexican, Mexican-American, Chicano, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Cuban American, or 'some other Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino group'" -- living in the United States, who chose whether to take the survey in English or Spanish. The margin of error for all Latinos is +/- 3%. For the report, visit: http://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/climate-change-latino-mind-may-2017/ And for NCSE's collection of polls and surveys on climate change, visit: https://ncse.com/library-resource/polls-climate-change UPDATE FROM NEW MEXICO The new state science standards proposed in New Mexico -- which omit references to evolution, human responsibility for climate change, and the age of the earth -- are attracting scrutiny and criticism across the state. As NCSE previously reported, the proposed standards are modeled on the performance expectations of the Next Generation Science Standards, which have been adopted by eighteen states and the District of Columbia so far. But, as Mother Jones (September 15, 2017) observed, "the draft released by New Mexico's education officials changes the language of a number of NGSS guidelines, downplaying the rise in global temperatures, striking references to human activity as the primary cause of climate change, and cutting one mention of evolution while weakening others." In its editorial, the Santa Fe New Mexican (September 20, 2017) observed that "New Mexico values science," adding, "For this state -- of all states -- to adopt even a hint of pseudo-science in its curriculum should be out of the question. Yet that is apparently what the state Public Education Department is seeking to do with new science standards that would omit key scientific concepts, including those on evolution and climate change." "Already," the editorial lamented, "the proposed standards are receiving unwanted national publicity, including articles in Mother Jones magazine, newspapers and blog posts around the country." Subsequently, the Santa Fe New Mexican (September 23, 2017) interviewed a sampling of teachers in the state about their views on the proposed new standards. None was enthusiastic. A middle school teacher in Santa Fe warned, "Anybody who wants to pervert the teaching of science has lots of room to work with," while other teachers, though appreciating the NGSS-inspired approach of the standards, expressed concerns about the weakening of the coverage of climate change. A high school teacher in Los Lunas complained, "The last thing New Mexico needs is bad standards, and there are some really bad standards in here." Two state representatives, G. Andrés Romero (D-District 10) and Bill McCamley (D-District 53), offered their view in a column for the Las Cruces Sun-News (September 24, 2017). They blamed the flaws in the proposed new standards on Governor Susana Martinez (R), who earlier in 2017 vetoed their bill requiring the state to adopt the NGSS: "During one of the committee hearings, a former member of her staff admitted the reason for the governor's decision. 'Toward the end of my tenure at the Public Education Department, I was tasked to edit and change some of the language in the standards to make them politically sanitized.'" On NMPolitics.net, New Mexico's senators Tom Udall (D) and Martin Heinrich (D) wrote that they were "disturbed to learn that the New Mexico Public Education Department has proposed watering down science education standards for our public schools by removing any references to rising temperatures, climate change and evolution." They added, "If we weaken our science standards to advance an ideological agenda at the expense of scientific facts, we will put New Mexico at a distinct disadvantage. And we encourage all New Mexicans to speak out against this plan to undermine the quality of K-12 science education." Describing the divergences of the proposed standards from the NGSS as "fly[ing] in the face of accepted science" and "breathtaking in their offensiveness," the Albuquerque Journal (September 26, 2017) editorialized, "Whether [Secretary-Designate of Education Christopher] Ruszkowski is bowing to political pressure to water down the science curriculum that New Mexico teachers will deliver to students -- or simply doesn't believe in climate change, evolution or scientific dating processes -- his recommendations are deeply troubling and take New Mexico in the wrong direction for education and the new economy." And the Las Cruces Sun-News (September 27, 2017) editorially condemned the idea that the proposed standards represent a satisfactory compromise, writing, "Science isn't about finding the middle ground. It's not about presenting a wide range of options designed to conform to various political and religious beliefs and simply letting people choose which one they are the most comfortable with. The proposed changes may soothe the feelings of those who disagree with scientific conclusions, but they will put our students at a disadvantage when competing against those from other states where the standards are more rigorous and less susceptible to political whims." There is still time for concerned New Mexicans to protest the proposed standards. The Public Education Department will be accepting written comments on the standards from the public through October 16, 2017 and will then hold a public hearing in Santa Fe. For the story in Mother Jones, visit: http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/09/new-mexico-remove-climate-change-evolution-public-education/ For the editorial and the story in the Santa Fe New Mexican, visit: http://www.santafenewmexican.com/opinion/editorials/science-standards-fail-students/article_eb3680eb-e50d-5bda-a8db-9fe4bde047f8.html http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/inexact-science-new-mexico-s-proposed-standards-divide-leaders-educators/article_2384c8cb-0362-5b40-8ab0-114558843fd5.html For the columns in the Las Cruces Sun-News and on NMPolitics,net, visit: http://www.lcsun-news.com/story/opinion/columnists/2017/09/24/keep-politics-out-science-classrooms/697174001/ http://nmpolitics.net/index/2017/09/science-education-is-essential-to-nms-future/ For the editorial in the Albuquerque Journal, visit: https://www.abqjournal.com/1069020/peds-science-standards.html For the editorial in the Las Cruces Sun-News, visit: http://www.lcsun-news.com/story/opinion/editorial/2017/09/27/listen-scientists-state-standards/710824001/ For information on the comment period and the public hearing on the standards, visit: http://www.ped.state.nm.us/ped/PublicNotices.html And for NCSE's previous coverage of events in New Mexico, visit: https://ncse.com/news/new-mexico NCSE BOARD ELECTS NEW PRESIDENT, ADDS TWO NEW MEMBERS At a recent meeting of NCSE's board of directors, Kenneth R. Miller was elected as president, replacing Francisco J. Ayala, whose term on the board expired. Miller is Professor of Biology and Royce Family Professor for Teaching Excellence at Brown University; his honors include the AAAS's Award for Public Understanding of Science Technology as well as NCSE's Friend of Darwin award. He testified for the plaintiffs in Kitzmiller v. Dover. His books include Finding Darwin's God (1999) and Only a Theory (2008). "We are grateful to Francisco Ayala for his years of service to NCSE and to the cause of defending the integrity of science education, including his serving in the McLean trial and spearheading the National Academy of Sciences's efforts on behalf of evolution education," commented NCSE's executive director Ann Reid. "Ken Miller will be a splendid successor," she added. "He has been involved with NCSE since even before the organization was officially formed, and we are confident that his contributions will continue to be of immense value." Also leaving the board was Barbara Forrest, professor of philosophy at Southeastern Louisiana University. Forrest was the author, with Paul R. Gross, of Creationism's Trojan Horse: The Wedge of Intelligent Design (2004). Like Miller, she testified for the plaintiffs in Kitzmiller v. Dover, the 2005 case establishing the unconstitutionality of teaching "intelligent design" creationism in the public schools. Her honors include the American Society for Cell Biology's Public Service award and NCSE's Friend of Darwin award. Joining the board is Vicki Chandler, the Dean of Natural Sciences at Minerva Schools at KGI. A leading plant geneticist, Chandler is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, serving on its governing council from 2007 to 2010, and of the National Science Board. Also joining the board is Naomi Oreskes, Professor of the History of Science at Harvard University. With Erik M. Conway, Oreskes wrote Merchants of Doubt (2010). Her honors include NCSE's Friend of the Planet award. On NCSE's board of directors the two new members, Vicki Chandler and Naomi Oreskes, join President Kenneth R. Miller of Brown University, Treasurer Lorne Trottier of Matrox, Secretary Robert M. West of Informal Learning Experiences, Michael Haas of Orion Renewable Energy Group, Richard B. Katskee of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Barry Polisky, and Benjamin D. Santer of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. For information about NCSE's board of directors, visit: https://ncse.com/about/board CONGRATULATIONS TO MICHAEL E. MANN NCSE is delighted to congratulate Michael E. Mann on receiving the James Shea Award for 2017. Presented by the National Association of Geoscience Teachers, the award honors "exceptional contributions in the form of writing and/or editing of Earth science materials (broadly construed) that are of interest to the general public and/or teachers of Earth science." Announcing the award, NAGT described Mann's "contributions to the earth sciences as a researcher, author, lecturer, and advocate" as "legendary," adding, "He is one of a few courageous climate scientists who continue to play a leading role in calling the attention of the public and policy makers to the overriding environmental challenge of the twenty-first century: anthropogenic climate change." Mann is Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric Science at Penn State University, with joint appointments in the Department of Geosciences and the Earth and Environmental Systems Institute. He is also director of the Penn State Earth System Science Center. His latest book, coauthored with Tom Toles, is The Madhouse Effect (Columbia University Press, 2016). A member of NCSE's Advisory Council, he received NCSE's Friend of the Planet Award in 2014. For NAGT's announcement, visit: https://nagt.org/nagt/awards/shea/2017_michael.html HELP WANTED: DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT NCSE is seeking to hire a Director of Development. The full-time position involves ensuring that donors feel connected to NCSE and appreciated for their role in achieving its mission. The Director will work with NCSE's individual donor base, identify and cultivate major donors, research and coordinate institutional funding opportunities, and lead the staff's and the board's development efforts. Further information about duties, qualifications, salary and benefits, and the application process is available from NCSE's job page. For NCSE's job page, visit: https://ncse.com/about/jobs WHAT'S NEW AT NCSE'S BLOG? Have you been visiting NCSE's blog recently? If not, then you've missed: * Claire Adrian-Tucci reporting on her recent Science Booster Club road trip: https://ncse.com/blog/2017/09/professional-road-trip-0018618 For NCSE's blog, 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. 1904 Franklin Street, Suite 600 Oakland CA 94612-2922 510-601-7203 fax 510-788-7971 branch@ncse.com http://ncse.com Check out NCSE's blog: 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. 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