Wyoming Rejects Science Education Standards Over Climate Change
Over the past several years, a number of states have worked with organizations including the National Research Council, National Science Teachers Association, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science to develop new standards for teaching science in public schools. The result, termed the Next Generation Science Standards, provides states with a chance to update their science education goals to focus more on the scientific process. So far, nine states and the District of Columbia have adopted the standards.
Wyoming doesn’t appear to have issues with evolution. Instead, climate science appears to be the problem. That’s not because any of the legislators have actually studied the science involved and found it lacking. The issue appears to be solely with the implications of the science.
The Casper Star Tribune is reporting that Wyoming became the first state to block the use of the Next Generation Science Standards through the use of a last-minute budget provision authored in part by State Representative Matt Teeters. It quotes him as saying “[The standards] handle global warming as settled science. There’s all kind of social implications involved in that that I don’t think would be good for Wyoming.” Specifically, Teeters seems to think that having citizens of the state accept climate science would “wreck Wyoming’s economy,” which relies heavily on fossil fuel production.
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Here are some other LGF pages on Wyoming and the environment:
EPA sounds alarm on fracking in Wyoming
littlegreenfootballs.com
Report on Wyoming water doesn’t end fracking debate
littlegreenfootballs.com
EPA Finds Fracking Fluids In Tainted Water in Wyoming
littlegreenfootballs.com
Fossil ‘gold mine’ illuminates ancient Wyoming warming
littlegreenfootballs.com