Climate denial -- 200,000 biology teachers mailed propaganda by GOP-funded Heartland Inst

[sharedvalues]

The day of the Climate march is a good day to talk about climate change denial.


I just saw teachers posting about receiving these.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/climate-change-skeptic-group-seeks-to-influence-200000-teachers/

"Twenty-five thousand science teachers opened their mailboxes this month and found a package from the Heartland Institute, a [pro-wealthy] think tank that rejects the scientific consensus on climate change."

The Heartland initiative dismisses multiple studies showing scientists are in near unanimous agreement that humans are changing the climate. Even if human activity is contributing to climate change, the book argues, it “would probably not be harmful, because many areas of the world would benefit from or adjust to climate change.”

The campaign elicited immediate derision from the National Center for Science Education (NCSE), a nonprofit in Oakland, California that monitors climate change education in classrooms.

“It’s not science, but it’s dressed up to look like science,” said NCSE executive director Ann Reid. “It’s clearly intended to confuse teachers.”

Heartland Institute at SourceWatch: http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Heartland_Institute

Why does Heartland deny climate change? Because they are paid to do so by the fossil fuel industry (e.g. Exxon), whose profits are threatened by climate change action. The fossil fuel industry makes business decisions to make marketing investments in climate change denial. There's a clear ROI for those companies in funding denial like these pamphlets.

According to spokesman Jim Lakely, Heartland received $736,500 from Exxon Mobil between 1998 and 2006.

Heartland now keeps its donors secret.

[Tanuki]

1. If I were a science teacher, I would want to know who sold my name and contact info

to the Heartland Institute.