Under the guise of allowing "academic freedom" the Texas legislature is considering a bill (HB 1485) which would allow public school science teachers to teach climate change denial as a scientifically valid theory.
Climate change is real, human-caused, and happening now. From floods to heat waves, recent events have underscored how incredibly vulnerable Texas is to global warming impacts.
By 2050 nearly 4,500 more Texans will perish due to heat waves because the state can expect over 2 more months of extremely hot days. Sea levels in the Houston/Galveston area could rise by as much as 2 feet by 2050, and Texas coastal flood costs due to global warming are expected to top $650 million by mid-century.
Any efforts to diminish these realities or legitimize climate denial theories are irresponsible in the face of these impacts. Texans need to be working together to understand and avoid climate change impacts, not sticking their heads in the sand by focusing on debunked science.
In addition to climate change, the bill would also allow teachers to legitimize anti-scientific instruction on "biological evolution, the chemical origins of life, and human cloning."
Please sign this petition and urge the Texas legislature to stop HB 1485 and stand up for legitimate scientific instruction!
