If we are all descended from Noah ...

I agree completely. Polls are irrelevant to the issue of Creationism in public schools. First, religious tenets can't be taught there no matter how great the majoriy, which is why we have the Seperation of Church and State. The only way the majority can oppress the minority in this way is through a constitutional amendment. I don't see that happening any time soon.Secondly public opinion does not decide what tenets of science are correct. If that were true then we'd probably be living in a geocentric solar system.Finally even if public opinion were in favor of it and it were legal, including Creationism would make no sense because elementary science courses are intended to teach what happens in the scientific community. This is essential so that (1) students can better comprehend society (2) tax payers can understand the value of science. There is no reason that Creationism should be given 'equal time' in science classrooms when it is not being discussed in the scientific community.

[QUOTE][B]WS: Messed up facts there, for they are not vanishing, except around densely populated areas for housing. Central American forests are more extensive now than ever before. The climax for the central US ecozones is mostly plains vegetation and scrub trees if left alone. [/QUOTE][/B]I suspect that the 'Central America' Quetzal is refering to is that heavily forested tropical region south of Mexico and north of South America, consisting of such nations as Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama.I suspect that the region you are refering to must be the great, unplundered wildlands of Oklahoma, Kansas, eastern Texas, and Nebraska.There is something of an ecological, geographic, and cultural distinction between these two "Central Americas".

[QUOTE][B]Forestry management practice in the US is actually rather good [/QUOTE][/B]That's good because I'm close to the practice (in a familial sense) Too bad we have essentially no old-growth forests. [QUOTE][B]Of course, the threat is completely different in Central America.[/QUOTE][/B]Primary cause there is the attempt (by economical necessity) to grow crops in soil as fertile as pavement, right? [QUOTE][B]After all, God put those useless trees there just for humans to exploit.[/QUOTE][/B]That's one of religion's (and political conservatism's) dark sides.