Given the absence of any “global warming” (in fact, a small, but not statistically significant, decrease in concomitant world-wide temperatures monitored by satellite) since 1997, Australian lawmakers recently also came to the same conclusions and have eliminated some ~350 positions/salaries of government “global-warming scientists”.
Yes: politically, this remains a hot-button issue.
DwN (copying below)
CHARLESTON, WV — Doubt over man’s contribution to global warming, particularly through burning coal for power, is fueling a push by West Virginia lawmakers to block new science standards in schools.
In a state defined by a coal industry that is now on life support, the House of Delegates voted 73-20 on Friday to delay the new science standards related to Common Core.
Discussion on the measure Thursday focused on concerns, largely by coal proponents, that teaching “the standards” about global warming would follow a “political agenda” and an “ideology, rather than scientific facts.”
Scientific facts that explain the multiple observed climate cycles remain largely obscure, but include: solar activity (frequency and strength of sun flares); geothermal vents and underwater volcanoes; cosmic ray flux; orbital eccentricity-axial tilt-and-precession of Earth’s orbit; magnetic effects of other planets; heat distribution between oceanic and atmospheric systems; changes in radiative forcing (balance between solar-radiation energy absorbed by Earth’s surfaces and energy radiated back into space); and the large difference in land:sea ratio between the Northern and Southern Hemisphere.
Many peer-reviewed studies, science organizations and climate scientists say global warming stems largely from man-made sources. And that a major source of carbon emissions is burning coal. “In an energy-producing state, it’s a concern to me that we are teaching our kids, potentially, that we are doing immoral things here in order to make a living in our state,” said Del. Jim Butler, R-Mason.
The science standards, set to take effect July 1, would be blocked for at least a year and existing standards would remain in their place. The measure next heads to the Senate, where the education chairman says he has no issue with the bill.
“As it stands right now, I have no problems with it at all,” said Sen. Dave Sypolt, R-Preston. “I’m going to work it and send it right through.”
It’s unclear how the full Senate would act on the proposal.
In April 2015, the state Board of Education made some changes to the standards that global warming “doubters” favored; for example, adding “natural forces” to the list of climate-change debate topics, which already includes: greenhouse gases, human changes in atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases; and relevant laws and treaties.
“Climate change” appears only in a handful of places in the standards. In one example, ninth-graders are tasked with analyzing “geoscience data and the results from the global climate models to make an evidence-based forecast of the current rate of global or regional climate change and associated future impacts to Earth systems.”
The full bill passed Friday also would change standards for other subject areas. Experts appointed by the House speaker and Senate president would suggest new math and English standards to be put in place by the 2017-18 school year.
Last year, the Board of Education stripped its Common Core-related standards for math and English and replaced them. But some lawmakers say the new standards still resemble Common Core too closely.
Democratic Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin said the state shouldn’t keep changing its educational standards year after year.
He also criticized lawmakers for the change on the science standards.
“Those are things that our educators should be making those decisions on, as opposed to somebody because of a belief they have,” Tomblin said.