Global warming may be getting worse, but there is a glimmer of hope that younger generations of commuters are more likely to opt for low-emissions travel, and to be aware, at the very least, of the environmental harm our footprints inflict on the planet.
A New Jersey high school senior is taking a stand against a widely-used Advanced Placement textbook, American Government, that casts doubt on the mere existence of global warming. One passage reads: "[S]cience doesn’t know whether we are experiencing a dangerous level of global warming or how bad the greenhouse effect is, if it exists at all."
Here’s a smattering of other outrageous passages, culled by Friends of the Earth (after the jump):
- "It is a foolish politician who today opposes environmentalism. And that creates a problem, because not all environmental issues are equally deserving of support. Take the case of global warming." (p. 559)
- "The earth has become warmer, but is this mostly the result of natural climate changes, or is it heavily influenced by humans putting greenhouse gases into the air?" (p.559)
- "On the one hand, a warmer globe will cause sea levels to rise, threatening coastal communities; on the other hand, greater warmth will make it easier and cheaper to grow crops and avoid high heating bills." (p. 559)
- "But many other problems are much less clear-cut. Science doesn’t know how bad the green-house effect is." (p. 566)
The textbook, published by Houghton Mifflin in 2005, was written by James Wilson and John Dilulio, both well-known conservatives.
Student Matthew LaClair has challenged the book with a written report that points to irrefutable proof of global warming, climate change, and carbon emissions and their destruction. In the paper, LaClair, in collaboration with the pro-science Center for Inquiry, discusses emissions produced by burning fossil fuels. “Global atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide have increased markedly as a result of human activities since 1750 and now far exceed pre-industrial values… The global increases in carbon dioxide concentration are due primarily to fossil fuel use and land-use change…” The report also notes that our annual emissions from fossil use (for fuel) has only increased, and at a faster rate than ever before—no thanks to Ford.
With kids like LaClair challenging the status quo, we may see emissions start to decline as generations of car commuters die off and technology, scientific advances, and greater awareness prevail.
Sources: Friends of the Earth & The Associated Press.
See also:
Fewer Teens Beg to Drive Mom’s Minivan
Trendsetting Japanese Teens Choose iPods Over Cars
Photo via flickr by Susan NYC.
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