Thanks to R. Bailey of Reason's Hit and Run, I came across this:

Grand Canyon National Park is not permitted to give an official estimate of the geologic age of its principal feature, due to pressure from Bush administration appointees. Despite promising a prompt review of its approval for a book claiming the Grand Canyon was created by Noah's flood rather than by geologic forces, more than three years later no review has ever been done and the book remains on sale at the park, according to documents released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER).

Before I light into the Bush administration as an exceptionally stupid organization filled with know-nothing ideologues with no respect for science, I should criticize one charge, made in the quoted passage. What about this book claiming the Grand Canyon was created by Noah's flood rather than by geologic forces? Were there to have been a worldwide flood, as described in the book of Genesis, the carving out of the Grand Canyon would have been by geologic forces.

But there was no such deluge. There was, instead, a series of Ice Ages with low water, and a series of warmer periods, with high oceans. And before that, much higher oceans. And before that, one world continent. And mass extinctions followed by evolutionary recoveries and . . .

All not to be mentioned to the American people, who might be offended by the truths discovered by science.

This really is one reason to hate the Bush administration. With passion. If you don't care about truth, then I can understand. But if you do, then utter disgust and distrust is what you must feel towards our current leaders.

I like a good hyperbole as well as the next guy, so I'll end with the one singled out by Bailey on Reason's site:

As one park geologist said, this is equivalent of Yellowstone National Park selling a book entitled Geysers of Old Faithful: Nostrils of Satan, Ruch added, pointing to the fact that previous NPS leadership ignored strong protests from both its own scientists and leading geological societies against the agency approval of the creationist book.

I have not read the book in question. I read plenty of Creationist stuff in my teens, though.

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