“Theory” is the highest form of scientific knowledge, having passed rigor of the highest magnitude in the form of peer review, reproduction, prediction, etc. You are speaking of Sherlock Holmes-ian “theory”, which implies speculation and _definitely_ does _not_ mean the same thing.

Please stop spewing the rhetoric your preachers and creationist sites have been throwing at you. They aren’t even remotely resembling fact.

Texans are so stupid we can’t even compose a simple yet cogent paradigm for our own existence without invoking a First Cause.

Well, I guess I”ll get back on my tractor and find some road kill for dinner and then watch HeeHaw reruns til the Jack Daniel’s kicks-in. I hope I don’t fall asleep with a cigarette in my mouth again. Maw had to call the far-deepartmeeant las time.

BTW – Matt, I really appreciate your stand on teaching critical thinking skills. That is surely one of the MOST important lessons our children should learn. They should also learn
to engage in a civil discourse and debate regarding an issue rather than gathering together in one place to see who can create the biggest playground insult against someone “different,” even “handicapped” or “special.”

For those who really want to get the word (oops!) out, please find someone who knows the subject matter you are trying to disprove. try http://www.reasons.org. They will be most happy to engage you in scientific and logical debate.

Otherwise, go outside and play and leave the debate to the scholars, or to the children who are being taught, in Texas, to use critical thinking skills, rather than goose-stepping along with either side in this “conflict of ignorance.”

BTW – I’ll take my chances with God, as did Blaise Pascal. If he exists, I’ll meet Him one day. And if he doesn’t, I won’t. Nothing will have mattered in the long run. If there is no God, there is no reason for you to argue against one, because, ultimately, it just doesn’t matter. Nothing does.

But if Pascal was right…I’ll be thinking about you, and wishing you were there.

Peace,
from an old guy…uh, and a teacher….I guess I should’ve mentioned that.

I work for Environmental Defense Fund and we’ve done some work on this issue over the past few days.

Check out our blog (http://blogs.edf.org/texasenergyexchange) for more information on it. We have two new posts up about it.

Lance Armstrong tweeted about it and linked to our Op-Ed! You can see the op-ed here: http://tinyurl.com/cqmndy

Yes, I had read some of news about the studies. Interesting to think the birds were likely “aware” of changes before they were much on our mind.

I just read that they are asking the public to help with a large study of banded snails in Europe. “Scientists believe the research could show how the creatures have evolved in the past 40 years to reflect changes in temperature and their predators.”

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7971200.stm

Thanks for the link – it won’t hurt to refresh my poor memory! (Never does.)

Clear skies, Alan

http://www.naturecanada.ca/climate_change_birds.asp

There are some links at the bottom. I have a pdf version of one of the big reports but I can’t tell you where I got it from now…perhaps one of the links on the page.

The fact that they didn’t know the distinction between realtheory and faketheory is disturbing, but having unqualified people in high-level positions is horrifyingly common, even in organizations that do an overall good job.

Of course, you can also get a full college education for a minimum effort on the HOPE scholarship and grant (funded by the lottery) here, so it doesn’t shock me that we have a decent education system. Certainly better than the one I endured a couple counties over in grade school. Georgia is pretty big too (roughly 1/3 Texas’ population), so maybe we can balance it out.

I first saw a Red-bellied Woodpecker in my yard in 1993. Then again in 1996. One visited my feeder for a few weeks in 1998. Not long after they became common enough that I stopped noting their visits. Now I hear several any time I am outside. My first Carolina Wren appeared a few days ago, although they have been reasonably common at lower elevations for a while now.

There is ample anecdotal evidence backing the warming trend.

Clear skies, Alan