Some Idaho lawmakers remain leery of school science standards on climate change; link to full story
Members of the Idaho House Education Committee on Thursday continued to balk at proposed new school science standards that deal with climate change, even as public testimony came in 100 percent in favor of the newly revised standards; more testimony is scheduled on Friday. You can read my full story here at spokesman.com.
Rep. Scott Syme, R-Caldwell, said he’s planning to propose that the standards be approved with two sections removed – one of the five regarding climate change that lawmakers ordered removed last year, and one additional one. Syme said he’s “learned a lot about standards” between last year and this year, and his remaining concern is “they should be inquiry-based.” He added, “It was never about climate change.”
“I don’t care if the students come up with a conclusion that the earth is flat – as long as it’s their conclusion, not something that’s told to them,” Syme declared.
Meanwhile, GOP Rep. Lance Clow said he thought the standards were all right, but supporting examples included with them went too far in concluding that the world is warming. “Geologic history shows that temperatures have gone up and down before,” said Clow, a retired personal financial adviser from Twin Falls.
And Rep. Ron Mendive, R-Coeur d’Alene, questioned a clause that said “biodiversity is increased by the formation of new species, speciation, and decreased by … extinction.” Mendive asked, “Have I missed something? Are there new species being formed at this time?”
Scott Cook, director of academics for the state Department of Education, said he’d gladly yield to some of the many scientists in the audience to answer the question, but said, “Yes, new species are forming. … Certainly we’ve seen more extinction recently than we have formation.”
Mendive said, “As far as new species, natural selection just kind of modifies existing species, and actual speciation, new species, I’m still not aware of anything along those lines.”
Rep. Julie VanOrden, R-Pingree, the committee chair, said, “I think that was just a statement from Rep. Mendive.”
Idaho is the only state in which legislators have successfully removed references to climate change from school science standards, according to a 2017 report from The Weather Channel; lawmakers in six other states – Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Oklahoma, West Virginia and Wyoming – tried to do the same, but failed.
