How science textbooks in Texas address climate change is at the center of a key vote expected Friday after some Republican education officials criticized books for being too negative toward fossil fuels in America’s biggest oil and gas state.
The issue of which textbooks to approve has led to new divisions on the Texas State Board of Education, which over the years has faced other heated curriculum battles surrounding how evolution and U.S. history is taught to the more than 5 million students.
Science standards adopted by the board’s conservative majority in 2021 do not mention creationism as an alternative to evolution. Those standards also describe human factors as contributors to climate change.
But some Republicans on the 15-member board this week waved off current textbook options as too negative toward fossil fuels and for failing to include alternatives to evolution. One of Texas’ regulators of the oil and gas industry, Republican Wayne Christian, has urged the board to “choose books that promote the importance of fossil fuels for energy promotion.”
I didn’t stay long as I was making my way down from NM to Houston to visit a friend. I regretted going that way to make stops in Roswell and Balmorhea as it’s pretty barren and dried out in those parts.
It’s a different dried out from Arizona to me. The parts I did drive around in reminded me of the logging camps of my youth in remote areas. Industrial and dirty. The old school practices of dumping waste as it is the middle of nowhere hasn’t aged well but when it comes to a job many are willing to overlook much.
Alberta is much like this with 1000’s of abandoned oil wells and tailing ponds that the taxpayers are on the hook for long after the outfits have taken the profits and run.
Who cares about earthquakes and pollution. Screw that give me my jobs first. So what if we can’t live without water longer than 2 or 3 days.
It’s a shame Albert’s recent government is doubling down on oil after years of neglecting the power grid and then canceling any more investment into existing alternative power like wind turbines and solar.
After my time living on just solar during my travels in AZ I can see these areas with so much sun having a easier time with solar than the wet climate I come from and it’s a shame they only block further investments into it to protect oil. They are the perfect places for solar and wind.
China has become a leader in the production of solar and they need to do something as one of the world’s largest polluters. These things can take decades and further stalling reinforces in my mind it’s still short term profits above all else. Good luck everyone…