South Dakota has passed a resolution which effectively calls for a "teach the controversy" approach to climate change:

 

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2010/02/21/you-cant-resolve-away-climate-change/

 

It's full of gems like...

 

WHEREAS, the earth has been cooling for the last eight years despite small increases in anthropogenic carbon dioxide;

 

Yes, they're completely right, the earth has been cooling during the warmest decade on record... for EIGHT YEARS! </sarcasm> Never mind 2005 was the warmest year on record and it's only been 5 years since then. More debunking of these silly, unscientific claims can be found in the Bad Astronomy article.

 

In passing a resolution like this, South Dakota contradicts the opinion of every scientific organization of national or international standing. Furthermore, no scientific organization of national or international standing has their back. This is effectively the State of South Dakota vs. science...

 

We have, of course, seen this sort of thing before with the teaching of evolution. While a state opposing that seems almost quaint in this day and age, it seems state governments have found new areas where they can promote anti-science.

 

Perhaps the US government could respond to this sort of thing by pulling all federal funding for science and education from the state until the state government pulls its head out of its *ss...

Chilling.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(sorry)