White evangelicals weren't always climate skeptics

+ Chinese spy balloon; who gets lung cancer? US Edition - Today's top story: How evangelicals moved from supporting environmental stewardship to climate skepticism [View in browser]( US Edition | 4 February 2023 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Some evangelical groups have labeled the environmental movement a “false religion” and continue to dispute the extensive evidence that human activities are heating up the climate, with destructive consequences. But it wasn’t always so. Many white conservative evangelicals supported environmental efforts from the 1960s to the early 1990s. Interdisciplinary scholar [Neall Pogue explains]( that things changed when conservative think tanks and advocacy groups started expressing skepticism regarding climate change. Leading pastors began ridiculing environmentalists, often calling them “tree huggers,” and mocking their supposed left-wing extremism. This week we also liked articles about the new [AP African American history course](, how most [sheriffs perceive gun laws]( and the [teensy creatures that make loud noises](. Kalpana Jain Senior Religion + Ethics Editor A display questioning humans’ role in climate change, at the Ark Encounter in Williamstown, Ky. Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images [How evangelicals moved from supporting environmental stewardship to climate skepticism]( Neall Pogue, University of Texas at Dallas It was in the 1990s that the idea of Christian environmental stewardship disappeared from the rhetoric of the religious right, paving the way for the anti-environmental position it holds today. U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder briefed the media about the Chinese spy balloon over the U.S. AP Photo/Alex Brandon [Chinese spy balloon over the US: An aerospace expert explains how the balloons work and what they can see]( Iain Boyd, University of Colorado Boulder A Chinese high-altitude balloon violated U.S. airspace, a serious enough breach to nix a high-level diplomatic meeting in Beijing. The balloon itself, however, was not much of a threat. Black students are underrepresented in Advanced Placement courses. Hill Street Studios / Getty Images [New Advanced Placement African American Studies course is a watered down version of itself]( Suneal Kolluri, University of California, Riverside A college readiness scholar says the new Advanced Placement course in African American Studies has been weakened by political pressure from the right. - [Lung cancer rates have decreased for the Marlboro Man, but have risen steeply for nonsmokers and young women – an oncologist explains why]( Estelamari Rodriguez, University of Miami While lung cancer rates have decreased by 43% in men, they have risen by 79% in women. New screening guidelines and recognizing early symptoms can help address the changing face of lung cancer. - [Sheriffs who see themselves as ultimate defenders of the Constitution are especially worried about gun rights]( Mirya Holman, Tulane University; Emily Farris, Texas Christian University A significant number of county sheriffs across the US have a particular – and false – view of their role in defending Americans’ constitutional rights. - [Mini creatures with mighty voices know their audience and focus on a single frequency]( Bernard Lohr, University of Maryland, Baltimore County From insects to birds to bats to frogs, these little loudmouths have found ingenious ways to deliver their messages at high volume. - [US is spending record amounts servicing its national debt – interest rate hikes add billions to the cost]( Gerald P. Dwyer, Clemson University The US spent $213 billion paying interest on the national debt in the fourth quarter of 2022 as the Fed jacked up borrowing costs at an unprecedented pace. - [The EV transition isn’t just about cars – the broader goal should be access to clean mobility for everyone]( - [Biden’s plan for ending the emergency declaration for COVID-19 signals a pivotal point in the pandemic – 4 questions answered]( - [As charges loom over Trump, prosecutors come under fire – a criminal justice expert explains what’s at stake]( - [ChatGPT is great – you’re just using it wrong]( - [How legalized sports betting has transformed the fan experience]( - [Civil rights legislation sparked powerful backlash that’s still shaping American politics]( - [The ocean twilight zone could store vast amounts of carbon captured from the atmosphere – but first we need an internet of deep ocean sensors to track the effects]( The Conversation Quiz 🧠- [The Conversation U.S. weekly news quiz]( Fritz Holznagel, The Conversation Test your reading with a weekly quiz drawn from some of our favorite stories. 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