Maryland Schools Require “Environmental Literacy” As Part Of High School Graduation Requirements

AP: Md. Board Of Education Approves Environmental Literacy Graduation Requirement. The Associated Press reported on June 21 that “Maryland's Board of Education passed the environmental literacy graduation requirement on Tuesday,” making it the first state in the nation to require “environmental literacy” before graduation from high school. From the AP:

Maryland's Board of Education passed the environmental literacy graduation requirement on Tuesday. Gov. Martin O'Malley says Maryland is now the first state in the nation to have such a requirement. The No Child Left Inside Coalition, which pushed for the requirement, says 48 other states are considering similar requirements, a sign of the increasing popularity of environmental education.

Under the graduation requirement, public schools will be required to infuse core subjects with lessons on conservation, smart growth and other environmental topics. School systems will be able to shape their programs, but they must align with state standards. [The Associated Press, 6/21/11, via The Washington Post]

Right-Wing Media Attack MD Requirement As “Indoctrination,” Use It To Attack Climate Science

Hoft: Environmental Literacy Is “Indoctrination And Junk Science.” In a June 22 Gateway Pundit post titled, “It's An Obama World... Maryland Is First State to Require Students to Pass Junk Science Test Before Graduating,” Jim Hoft wrote:

It used to be that the mission of the Department of Energy is to ensure America's security and prosperity by addressing its energy, environmental, and nuclear challenges. But that was before Obama. Now it's all about indoctrination and junk science.

Barack Obama's radical (green) Energy Secretary Steven Chu said he didn't think average folks had the know-how or will to to change their behavior enough to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. So, like a good socialist, Chu proposed indoctrinating the nation's youth on global warming junk science. And he's not shy about it.

[...]

P/Oed Patriot reported on Chu's new indoctrination program complete with instructions and lesson plans and quizzes: [sic]

This wasn't a joke...

Yesterday, Maryland because [sic] the first state to require students to pass a green test before graduating.

The kids can't read or write but at least they can pass an enviro-Marxism test. [The Gateway Pundit, 6/22/11, emphasis in original]

Red State: “It's Official: You Must Be An Eco-Socialist To Graduate In Maryland.” In a June 22 Red State post, blogger Daniel Horowitz wrote:

Getting control of school boards before they groom the next generation of Democrats and green parasites

[...]

The Maryland state board of education will require public schools within the state to weave in eco-socialist propaganda to the general science curriculum. Sadly, due to flaccid opposition and complacency on the part of all of us, public schools across the country have already been doing this for quite some time. Maryland is merely the first state to consummate those requirements as part of the “official curriculum.”

[...]

Somehow I don't think the 'environmental literacy' science courses will include the best hits from Climategate. Will they present these impressionable minds with dissenting opinions within the meteorological field? Does anyone think the social studies courses will teach them about the trail of green corporate cronyism between the government and the likes of Jeff Immelt or Al Gore? Or, will they teach Al Gore's science of population control instead?

It's not enough that the supercilious limousine liberal greenies mandate the destruction of our economy, loss of jobs, and higher prices for consumers, as a result of their insidious green corporate cronyism. They will now indoctrinate the next generation into living a regressive life based on fallacious and manipulative “educational” programs. While the Chinese children are studying real science, equipping them with the requisite tools to become more industrious, our children will learn junk science, equipping them with the tools to live the life of .... a 14th century nomad! [RedState, 6/22/11, emphasis in original]

The Blaze: “Maryland Has Bought Into The Green Agenda.” A June 22 post on Glenn Beck's website The Blaze said:

A state board of education in Maryland has bought into the green agenda. So much so that it just voted to require “environmental literacy” in order to graduate high school.

[...]

As Jonah Goldberg over at NRO points out, Maryland is ranked last in personal freedom. [The Blaze, 6/22/11]

Weasel Zippers: “Brainwash Them In Junk Science Then Send Them On Their Merry Way.” A June 22 Weasel Zippers post titled, “Good Grief: Maryland Board of Education Makes 'Environmental Literacy' A High School Graduation Requirement...” said, “Brainwash them in junk science then send them on their merry way.” [Weasel Zippers, 6/22/11]

Right-Wing Media Have Repeatedly Freaked Out About “Indoctrination” In Schools

Limbaugh: “Preparing” Children “To Be Good Environmental Citizens ... Means Indoctrinating.” On the May 17 edition of his radio program, Rush Limbaugh stated: “I kid you not. They're not going to -- they're not going to reward or honor schools for math scores, science scores, or grammar. No, no, no, no. 'Preparing our children to be good environmental citizens is some of the most important work any of us can do,' said the U.S. Education Secretary. Preparing means indoctrinating ... all based on a hoax, all based on a fraud, all based on global warming, which, by the way, is a religion.” [Premiere Radio Networks' The Rush Limbaugh Show, 5/17/11]

Hoft On Green Ribbon Schools Program: “Let The Indoctrination Begin.” In a May 17 Gateway Pundit post titled, “It's an Obama World... Team O to Honor Nation's Best 'Green Schools' on Earth Day,” Hoft wrote: “It's an Obama world. The kids can't read or write but at least they'll know about first-grader sex in bathrooms and EPA sponsored junk science. Let the Indoctrination Begin.” [Gateway Pundit, 5/17/11]

Powers: “The Only Thing 'Green Ribbon Schools' Will Prepare Students For Is The Unemployment Line.” In a May 17 post to MichelleMalkin.com, blogger Doug Powers wrote: " 'Green Ribbon Schools' -- Because Al Gore deserves to head toward his twilight years with the comfort of knowing that the next generation is being trained to keep him in the lifestyle to which he's become accustomed." Powers later wrote: “If the Department of Labor's stimulus-driven 'Green Jobs Training Program' results are any indication, there's a good chance that the only thing 'Green Ribbon Schools' will prepare students for is the unemployment line.” [MichelleMalkin.com, 5/17/11]

Weasel Zippers: “Some Advice For The Obama Regime: Stay Away From Our Kids.” A May 17 Weasel Zippers post introduced an article on the Green Ribbon Schools program by stating, “Some advice for the Obama regime: Stay away from our kids.” [Weasel Zippers, 5/17/11]

Right-Wing Media Found Evidence Of “Indoctrinat[ion]” In School Kids' WI Union Protest Participation." In March, right-wing media seized on a video of students protesting against Wisconsin's Republican Gov. Scott Walker as evidence of children being “indoctrinate[d]” to support progressive causes. [Media Matters, 3/15/11]

Conservatives On Obama's 2009 Stay-In-School Speech: “Indoctrination,” “Brainwashing,” Communist China, Hitler Youth. Numerous conservatives claimed that President Obama's September 8, 2009, speech about “persisting and succeeding in school,” along with classroom activities about the “importance of education,” would “indoctrinate” and “brainwash” schoolchildren. Conservatives compared Obama's address to Chinese communism and the Hitler Youth, while also calling for parents to “keep your kids home” from the “fascist in chief.” [Media Matters, 9/2/09]

Beck Spins Anecdotal Organizing For America Claim Into School “Indoctrination” Yarn. In February 2010, Glenn Beck ran with the right-wing claim that Obama -- through an Organizing for America internship program -- was attempting to use the public schools to “indoctrinate” students. Beck's claims were based on a series of distortions and false assertions. [Media Matters, 2/2/10]

More “Indoctrination”: Conservative Media Attacked Obama's Proposal For A Longer School Year. In 2009, Beck and other conservative media figures attacked Obama's proposal to extend the length of school days and the school year by claiming that government mandates for longer school days would give the government more time to “indoctrinate” kids, and Michelle Malkin said Obama was acting as “school czar.” [Media Matters, 9/30/09]

Beck's Two Steps In “Che Indoctrination” Of School Kids -- First, The T-Shirt; Then, Read Them Saul Alinsky. On the February 1, 2010, edition of his Fox News program, Beck stated: “This is the second step in the Che indoctrination. First, you get the kids in the T-shirt, and then you read them Saul Alinsky in school, recommended by the president.” [Fox News, Glenn Beck, 2/1/10]

Beck: “We Have Been Setting Up Re-Education Camps. We Call Them Universities.” During the September 1, 2010, edition of his Fox News program, Beck stated: “We have been setting up re-education camps. We call them universities.” [Fox News, Glenn Beck, 9/1/10]

Right-Wing Media Have Long Waged A War On Climate Science

Right-Wing Media Have Repeatedly Denied Climate Change, Attacked Climate Activists. As Media Matters has previously documented, the right-wing media have consistently denied the existence and effects of climate change, often using climate science to attack environmental conservation, Al Gore, energy alternatives, and endangered species.

For more information regarding the right-wing media's distortion of climate science, CLICK HERE.

Scientists Have Consistently Reaffirmed That Global Warming Is Occurring And That The Evidence Is Overwhelming

IPCC: Most Of Recent Warming Is Very Likely Due To Increase In Greenhouse Gas Emissions.The Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change -- a scientific body that compiles research from thousands of scientists -- concluded in 2007 that “warming of the climate system is unequivocal, as is now evident from observations of increases in global average air and ocean temperatures, widespread melting of snow and ice and rising global average sea level” and that “most of the observed increase in global average temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely [defined in the report as a '>90%' chance] due to the observed increase in anthropogenic [human-caused] GHG [greenhouse gas] concentrations.” [Pages 8 and 17, Synthesis Report, Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change, 2007]

29 Prominent Scientists In The U.S.: “The Body Of Evidence That Human Activity Is The Dominant Cause Of Global Warming Is Overwhelming.” In a December 4, 2009, letter to Congress, 29 prominent scientists, including 11 members of the National Academy of Sciences, stated: “The body of evidence that human activity is the dominant cause of global warming is overwhelming. The content of the stolen emails [from the University of East Anglia's Climatic Research Unit] has no impact whatsoever on our overall understanding that human activity is driving dangerous levels of global warming.” [Union of Concerned Scientists, 12/4/09]

1,700 Scientists In The United Kingdom: Global Warming “Is Due Primarily To Human Activities.” More than 1,700 scientists from the United Kingdom signed a statement responding “to the ongoing questioning of core climate science and methods.” The statement said, “We, members of the UK science community, have the utmost confidence in the observational evidence for global warming and the scientific basis for concluding that it is due primarily to human activities.” [U.K. Met Office, 12/10/09, accessed via Climate Progress]

American Association For The Advancement Of Science: "[S]cientific Evidence" Shows “That Global Climate Change [Is] Caused By Human Activities.” On December 4, 2009, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) stated that it “has reaffirmed the position of its Board of Directors and the leaders of 18 respected organizations, who concluded based on multiple lines of scientific evidence that global climate change caused by human activities is now underway, and it is a growing threat to society.” [AAAS, 12/4/09]