Climate change is a hoax, apparently

elviebird

So a local school board near me has decided.

A parent came into a classroom to teach about climate change and another parent complained, and the result is that it is not to be brought up for students since the whole thing is a hoax.  Sounds an awful lot like the evolution debate that was brought up a few years ago (yes, here in Georgia people are still arguing over teaching evolution in schools).

I work in environmental education and this is just the latest that really makes me wonder for the future of our children.

SuperGreen

You would think the droughts in Georgia would be enough to show there might be something to this global warming...

CDMay2006

I work in environmental ed, too -- and it's situations like this that deeply discourage me and simultaneously remind me how desperately this work is needed (and that the only way to go is up!).

Alisha_A

Oh jeez...discouraging indeed!

I can understand not wanting the children to be taught an alarmist, extreme position, but really, can't we all agree that we put a lot of crap into the environment, and that's not good?

 

WendyGR

ugh, it's so frustrating, isn't it? There's a local weatherman who makes the church basement circuit, and others of our constituents think climate change is part of the UN's plan to take over the world.

Alisha_A

WendyGR:

part of the UN's plan to take over the world.

wha?? And do what??

CDMay2006

Alisha_A:

Oh jeez...discouraging indeed!

I can understand not wanting the children to be taught an alarmist, extreme position, but really, can't we all agree that we put a lot of crap into the environment, and that's not good?

The thing is, it's not even people saying arguing that the change is not anthropogenic.  It's people arguing that there is no aberration from typical patterns (cause tree rings and O2 in coral and shell samples all lie)... that climate change isn't even happening.  Yet those same people (and plenty others) complain about all this weird weather we've been having (and have been for half a decade, now).

elviebird

I have a lot of "friends" (I use that term loosely) who think climate change is completely natural, and I have noticed that it is people with very little natural science background who think this way.  People who are biologists/ecologists or have spent a lot of time studying biological processes are the ones who accept that climate change is a reality.  I think the whole process is just so incredibly complex (I took a semester course in grad school all about earth systems and climatology and it was mind blowing) that unless you have SOME sort of background knowledge, it's just really hard to understand.  And therefore it is easier to claim that it doesn't exist.

Jeff & Em

Even if global warming is a bunch of BS and we're all wrong, I still can't understand why people think it's acceptable to treat our earth the way we currently do. I mean, can someone provide me with a really good reason that it's bad for the environment to take public transportation rather than driving a car to school? What about recycling? Is there a good reason to not do that? Because I sure can't come up with reasons for things like this. Even if you don't believe in climate change, that's still not a good enough reason to pollute and screw up our planet because you're lazy. Also, can I just add that my wonderfully borderline-senile great aunt believed until the day she died that the reason that the weather was acting weird was because of jets. You know, because they fly around up there in the jet stream and mess up the weather when they fly. : )

rocket2japan

Jeff & Em:

Even if global warming is a bunch of BS and we're all wrong, I still can't understand why people think it's acceptable to treat our earth the way we currently do. I mean, can someone provide me with a really good reason that it's bad for the environment to take public transportation rather than driving a car to school? What about recycling? Is there a good reason to not do that? Because I sure can't come up with reasons for things like this. Even if you don't believe in climate change, that's still not a good enough reason to pollute and screw up our planet because you're lazy. Also, can I just add that my wonderfully borderline-senile great aunt believed until the day she died that the reason that the weather was acting weird was because of jets. You know, because they fly around up there in the jet stream and mess up the weather when they fly. : )

This exactly, except for the aunt.

I think in at least some way, it's an excuse to be lazy about taking care of the world. Also, I believe that a lot of conservatives (mostly Christian conservatives) automatically disregard conservationism because it's a "liberal" view. But why don't conservatives, conserve? It doesn't make sense to me. Speaking as a Christian, I find it particularly difficult to accept this attitude because I think God wants us to take care of what he made and not trash it.

elviebird

Jeff & Em:

What about recycling? Is there a good reason to not do that?

Actually, I HAVE had someone argue that recycling is worse for the environment than buying new because for some products it takes more energy to convert and old material than to just create it from scratch.  (My guess is plastics, but not sure).

However, I'm pretty sure he failed to take into account the amount of landfill space saved if you recycle rather than throw away, and the decomposition time for man made materials.

Oddly, this guy worked with me as an environmental educator.

Jeff & Em

elviebird:

Jeff & Em:

What about recycling? Is there a good reason to not do that?

Actually, I HAVE had someone argue that recycling is worse for the environment than buying new because for some products it takes more energy to convert and old material than to just create it from scratch.  (My guess is plastics, but not sure).

However, I'm pretty sure he failed to take into account the amount of landfill space saved if you recycle rather than throw away, and the decomposition time for man made materials.

Oddly, this guy worked with me as an environmental educator.

Elvie, that's intriguing and I can see where it might make sense.  I guess it goes back to the importance of reducing.  I always used to think recycling was the most important R, but it keeps moving down the list.  : )

SuperGreen

elviebird:

Jeff & Em:

What about recycling? Is there a good reason to not do that?

Actually, I HAVE had someone argue that recycling is worse for the environment than buying new because for some products it takes more energy to convert and old material than to just create it from scratch.  (My guess is plastics, but not sure).

However, I'm pretty sure he failed to take into account the amount of landfill space saved if you recycle rather than throw away, and the decomposition time for man made materials.

Oddly, this guy worked with me as an environmental educator.

He also failed to take into account the energy and pollution from mining for the raw materials for new products.  Then shipping those raw materials to a processing plant, shipping the final product to a distribution center, then to Target, then in your car to go home.  Plus the throw-away packaging on every step of that trip.  Recycling is better.

SuperGreen

Jeff & Em:

Even if you don't believe in climate change, that's still not a good enough reason to pollute and screw up our planet because you're lazy.

100% THIS.  This is what I say to climate change deniars.  Even if climate change isn't real, you're still poisoning our water, land, and food.  Huge increase in asthma and cancer, lack of drinkable water, tainted food.  Hell, people in some place (like Mexico City) can't breathe their air. Come on now!

rocket2japan

SuperGreen:

elviebird:

Jeff & Em:

What about recycling? Is there a good reason to not do that?

Actually, I HAVE had someone argue that recycling is worse for the environment than buying new because for some products it takes more energy to convert and old material than to just create it from scratch.  (My guess is plastics, but not sure).

However, I'm pretty sure he failed to take into account the amount of landfill space saved if you recycle rather than throw away, and the decomposition time for man made materials.

Oddly, this guy worked with me as an environmental educator.

He also failed to take into account the energy and pollution from mining for the raw materials for new products.  Then shipping those raw materials to a processing plant, shipping the final product to a distribution center, then to Target, then in your car to go home.  Plus the throw-away packaging on every step of that trip.  Recycling is better.

I've heard things like this too. It's better to re-purpose than recycle. Reduce first. Then reuse and finally recycle. I love finding new ways to use things again.