DARWIN DAY RESOLUTION IN CONGRESS
House Resolution 67, introduced in the United States House of Representatives on February 2, 2015, would, if passed, express the House’s support of designating February 12, 2015, as Darwin Day, and its recognition of “Charles Darwin as a worthy symbol on which to focus and around which to build a global celebration of science and humanity intended to promote a common bond among all of Earth’s peoples.”
Jim Himes (D-Connecticut), the lead sponsor of the bill, explained in a January 26, 2015, press release from the American Humanist Association, “Charles Darwin’s discoveries gave humankind a new, revolutionary way of thinking about the natural world and our place in it. His insatiable quest for knowledge and decades of meticulous observation and analysis opened new pathways for advancements in biology, medicine, genetics and ecology.” He added, “Without Darwin’s contributions to science, philosophy and reason, our understanding of the world’s complexity and grandeur would be significantly diminished.”
- Res. 67 is the latest in a string of similar bills: H. Res. 467 in 2014 and H. Res. 41 in 2013, introduced by Rush Holt (D-New Jersey) — who, having not run for re-election, is about to become the chief executive officer of the American Association for the Advancement of Science—and H. Res. 81 in 2011, introduced by Pete Stark (D-California.) All three of the previous resolutions eventually died in committee.
“2015 has already seen five states introduce antievolution measures, so it’s wonderful to see a resolution that recognizes the importance of teaching evolution,” commented NCSE’s executive director Ann Reid. “I encourage members and friends of NCSE to urge their representatives to support H. Res. 67. The problem is real: one of eight U.S. public high school biology teachers are explicitly presenting creationism, and six of ten are reluctant to teach evolution properly. So, yes, support H. Res 67, but don’t overlook the many ways to defend the teaching of evolution locally.”
For House Resolution 67 (PDF), visit:
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-114hres67ih/pdf/BILLS-114hres67ih.pdf
For the American Humanist Association’s press release, visit:
http://americanhumanist.org/news/details/2015-01-congressional-resolution-introduced-to-support-darwi
For a press release about Rush Holt’s becoming the new CEO of AAAS, visit:
http://www.aaas.org/news/AAASCEO
And for a list of ways to support evolution education, visit:
http://ncse.com/taking-action/29-ways-to-support-science-education
VIEWS ON CLIMATE CHANGE AMONG THE PUBLIC AND SCIENTISTS
Whereas seven out of eight of scientists say that humans are causing global warming, only half of the public agrees, according to a new report from the Pew Research Center. Asked which comes closer to their view, “The earth is getting warmer mostly because of human activity such as burning fossil fuels,” “The earth is getting warmer mostly because of natural patterns in the earth’s environment,” or “There is no solid evidence that the earth is getting warmer,” 87% of scientists responding chose the first option, 9% chose the second option, and 3% chose the third option, while 50% of the public responding chose the first option, 23% chose the second option, and 25% chose the third option.
In a separate series of questions, the respondents from the public were asked, “From what you’ve read and heard, is there solid evidence that the average temperature on earth has been getting warmer over the past few decades, or not?” Yes was the answer of 72% of respondents, with 46% regarding it as “mostly because of human activity such as burning fossil fuels” and 22% regarding it as “mostly because of natural patterns in the earth’s environment.” No was the answer of 25% of respondents, with 11% agreeing that “we just don’t know enough yet about whether the Earth is getting warmer” and 13% agreeing that “it’s just not happening.”
The respondents from the public were asked whether scientists generally agree that earth is getting warmer due to human activity, with 57% answering yes and 37% answering no. The report observes, “Perceptions of where the scientific community stands on climate change have fluctuated from a low of 44% in 2010 who said that scientists agree … to a high of 57% saying this today.” There was a correlation between regarding scientists in agreement on global warming and accepting global warming: “Those who say either that climate change is occurring due to natural patterns in the earth’s environment or who do not believe there is solid evidence of climate change are more inclined to see scientists as divided.”
Demographically, the report explains, “[v]iews about climate change tend to differ by party and political ideology, as also was the case in past surveys. Democrats are more likely than either political independents or Republicans to say there is solid evidence the earth is warming. And, moderate or liberal Republicans are more likely to say the earth is warming than are conservative Republicans. Past Pew Research surveys have also shown more skepticism among Tea Party Republicans that the earth is warming. Consistent with past surveys, there are wide differences in views about climate change by age, with adults ages 65 and older more skeptical than younger age groups that there is solid evidence the earth is warming.”
The questions about evolution were part of a larger project, conducted by the Pew Research Center and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, investigating the public’s attitude toward science and comparing it to the attitude of scientists. The report relied on two surveys, one conducted by telephone among members of the general public in the United States in August 2014, and one conducted on-line among members of the AAAS in September and October 2014. The broader significance of the project’s results are summarized in the Pew Research Center’s report, issued on January 29, 2015.
For the Pew Research Center’s report (in text and PDF formats), visit:
http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/01/29/public-and-scientists-views-on-science-and-society/
http://www.pewinternet.org/files/2015/01/PI_ScienceandSociety_Report_012915.pdf
And for NCSE’s collection of polls and surveys on climate, visit:
http://ncse.com/polls/polls-climate-change
VIEWS ON EVOLUTION AMONG THE PUBLIC AND SCIENTISTS
Whereas nearly all scientists say that humans and other living things have evolved over time, only two thirds of the public agrees, according to a new report from the Pew Research Center. Asked which comes closer to their view, “Humans and other living things have evolved over time” or “Humans and other living things have existed in their present form since the beginning of time,” 98% of scientists responding chose the former option and only 2% chose the latter option; 65% of the public responding chose the former option and 31% chose the latter option.
Those who chose the former option were also asked whether they preferred “Humans and other living things have evolved due to natural processes such as natural selection” or “A supreme being guided the evolution of living things for the purpose of creating humans and other life in the form it exists today.” Among scientists, 90% preferred the former option and 8% preferred the latter option; among the public, 35% preferred the former option and 24% preferred the latter option. Members of the public were also asked whether scientists generally agree that humans evolved over time; 66% said yes, 29% said no.
Demographically, acceptance of evolution was correlated with level of education: “Three-quarters (75%) of college graduates believe that humans have evolved over time, compared with 56% of those who ended their formal education with a high school diploma or less.” The report adds, “Beliefs about evolution also differ strongly by religion and political group, as was also the case in past surveys,” but deferred the details to a future publication. Judging from similar previous surveys, rejection of evolution was probably associated with conservative political attitudes and religiosity.
The same questions were asked in a Pew Research Center survey in 2009, providing a basis for a longitudinal comparison. In 2009, 97% of scientists and 61% of the public accepted evolution, while 2% of scientists and 31% of the public rejected evolution. Among scientists who accepted evolution, 87% attributed it to natural processes and 8% to divine guidance; among members of the public who accepted evolution, 32% attributed it to natural processes and 22% to divine guidance. Members of the public were asked whether scientists generally agree that humans evolved over time; 60% said yes, 28% said no.
The questions about evolution were part of a larger project, conducted by the Pew Research Center and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, investigating the public’s attitude toward science and comparing it to the attitude of scientists. The report relied on two surveys, one conducted by telephone among members of the general public in the United States in August 2014, and one conducted on-line among members of the AAAS in September and October 2014. The broader significance of the project’s results are summarized in the Pew Research Center’s report, issued on January 29, 2015.
For the Pew Research Center’s report (in text and PDF formats), visit:
http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/01/29/public-and-scientists-views-on-science-and-society/
http://www.pewinternet.org/files/2015/01/PI_ScienceandSociety_Report_012915.pdf
For the Pew Research Center’s 2009 report (PDF), visit:
http://www.people-press.org/files/legacy-pdf/528.pdf
And for NCSE’s collection of polls and surveys, visit:
http://ncse.com/creationism/polls-surveys
MONTANA’S ANTISCIENCE BILL IN THE NEWS
“A Billings legislator has reintroduced a bill that would encourage high school teachers to present evolutionary biology as disputed theory rather than sound science and protect those who teach viewpoints like creationism in the classroom,” reports the Billings Gazette (January 29, 2015).
The bill is House Bill 321 — formerly bill draft LC 1324 — which is the fifth antiscience bill in 2015, after Missouri’s House Bill 486, Indiana’s Senate Bill 562, Oklahoma’s Senate Bill 665, and South Dakota’s Senate Bill 114. All five bills are similar to Tennessee’s “monkey law,” enacted over the protests of the state’s scientific and educational communities in 2012.
Introduced by Clayton Fiscus (R-District 46), who introduced a similar bill in 2013, HB 321 purports to “emphasize critical thinking in instruction related to controversial scientific theories on the origin of life” such as “biological evolution, the chemical origins of life, random mutation, natural selection, DNA, and fossil discoveries.”
“That’s all bunk,” NCSE’s Glenn Branch told the Gazette. “[Fiscus] thinks that these whole fields are scientifically controversial, and that’s not true.” He added that if enacted, the bill would allow teachers with fringe or crank ideas to present them in class, unchecked by administrations. “It’s inviting the teachers to go rogue.”
Craig Beals, a Billings science teacher and the 2015 Montana Teacher of the Year, told the newspaper that he teaches evolution, climate change, and the Big Bang in his classes, adding, “The topics have long been debated not because scientists disagree but because the topics don’t always agree with people’s beliefs.”
For the story in the Billings Gazette,
http://billingsgazette.com/news/government-and-politics/anti-evolution-bill-would-protect-hs-teachers-who-teach-creationism/article_6c80d5dc-13d4-5e28-a195-61e83e9d8d78.html
For information about Montana’s House Bill 321, visit:
http://leg.mt.gov/bills/2015/billhtml/HB0321.htm
And for NCSE’s previous coverage of events in Montana, visit:
http://ncse.com/news/montana
DARWIN DAY APPROACHES
It’s time to dust off your Darwin costume again: less than a week remains before Darwin Day 2015! Colleges and universities, schools, libraries, museums, churches, civic groups, and just plain folks across the country—and the world—are preparing to celebrate Darwin Day, on or around February 12, in honor of the life and work of Charles Darwin. These events provide a marvelous opportunity not only to celebrate Darwin’s birthday but also to engage in public outreach about science, evolution, and the importance of evolution education— which is especially needed with assaults on evolution education already under way in state legislatures. NCSE encourages its members and friends to attend, participate in, and even organize Darwin Day events in their own communities. To find a local event, check the websites of local universities and museums and the registry of Darwin Day events maintained by the Darwin Day Celebration website. (And don’t forget to register your own event with the Darwin Day Celebration website!)
And with Darwin Day comes the return of Evolution Weekend! Hundreds of congregations all over the country and around the world are taking part in Evolution Weekend, February 13-15, 2015, by presenting sermons and discussion groups on the compatibility of faith and science. Michael Zimmerman, the initiator of the project, writes, “Evolution Weekend is an opportunity for serious discussion and reflection on the relationship between religion and science. One important goal is to elevate the quality of the discussion on this critical topic—to move beyond sound bites. A second critical goal is to demonstrate that religious people from many faiths and locations understand that evolution is sound science and poses no problems for their faith. Finally, as with The Clergy Letter itself, Evolution Weekend makes it clear that those claiming that people must choose between religion and science are creating a false dichotomy.” At last count, 439 congregations in forty-five states (and twelve foreign countries) were scheduled to hold Evolution Weekend events.
For the Darwin Day registry, visit:
http://darwinday.org/events/community/add
For information about Evolution Weekend, visit:
http://www.evolutionweekend.org/
Thanks for reading. And don’t forget to visit NCSE’s website— http://ncse.com — where you can always find the latest news on evolution and climate education and threats to them.
—
Glenn Branch
Deputy Director
National Center for Science Education, Inc.
420 40th Street, Suite 2
Oakland, CA 94609-2509
510-601-7203 x303
fax: 510-601-7204
800-290-6006
http://ncse.com