ALEC Behind Push to Require Climate Denial Instruction in Schools

[MrScorpio]

Thursday 26 January 2012

by: Steve Horn, DeSmogBlog | Report

On January 16, the Los Angeles Times revealed that anti-science bills have been popping up over the past several years in statehouses across the U.S., mandating the teaching of climate change denial or "skepticism" as a credible "theoretical alternative" to human-caused climate change.

The L.A. Times' Neela Banerjee explained,

"Texas and Louisiana have introduced education standards that require educators to teach climate change denial as a valid scientific position. South Dakota and Utah passed resolutions denying climate change. Tennessee and Oklahoma also have introduced legislation to give climate change skeptics a place in the classroom."

What the excellent Times coverage missed is that key language in these anti-science bills all eminated from a single source: the American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC.

http://www.truth-out.org/alec-behind-push-require-climate-denial-instruction-schools/1327678212

[RKP5637]

1. ALEC, working hard to bring you a dystopia in the 21st century.

[HeiressofBickworth]

2. Color me confused

Given that most positions are driven by self-interest, who benefits from climate change denial? Whether they believe or not, what happens when all projections come true? Is there a profit to be had in waiting for disaster? Or political advantage to be had in denying the inevitable?

What drives the denials?

[MrScorpio]

3. Industry

This is their way of fighting regulation on industry pollution and other restrictions on activities that affect the environment.

Also there are people who stand to gain if climate change causes natural disaster.

Think "Shock Doctrine".

They're just not thinking about the negative impact on people… All they care about is money.

[HeiressofBickworth]

4. Ah, I should have thunk

Yes, it's all about the money, isn't it. Even if their position eventually destroys the very industry for which they want complete reversal of regulation. No long term thinking going on. Not like the Chinese who think in multiple hundred-year plans. Hell even Nazi Germany thought in terms of the Thousand Year Reich (didn't work for them, however). Business thinks no farther ahead than the next quarter's bottom line and to hell with the consequences.

Thanks, I need to read "Shock Doctrine" and have been meaning to for a while now.

[greenman3610]

5. when you are an industry that makes billions of dollars a week with your current business model

even putting off action for this month, or this year, will always make more sense than doing something about the problem.
Profit drives the industry - so there is a ready source of funding for the out and out sociopaths of the climate denial industry - who are driven by the same toxic mindset that drives racism, hatred, greed, and war.

[Scuba]

6. Your question implies that the deniers are able to think beyond the current fiscal quarter....

... and that's just not true.

[jsmirman]

7. Those insidious fuckers

one constant drafting session of bills that pervert our Constitution.

[aquart]

8. ALEC is one sick non-person.

Unless, of course, ALEC has incorporated and become a person.