After calling an internet user a "piranha" on social media, Nikolas now promises to change the curriculum on the climate crisis in schools.
A member of parliament from the PL-MG party presented an amendment to the National Education Plan to include alternative approaches to the scientific consensus.
247 - Brazilian congressman Nikolas Ferreira (PL-MG) argued that the teaching of climate change in Brazilian schools should include a "multiplicity of viewpoints" and not just the scientific consensus on the subject. The proposal was presented as an amendment to the National Education Plan (PNE), which is intended to define the guidelines for education in the country for the next ten years. This information comes from [source name missing]. Thais Bilenky's column, NUOL.
In his justification, Nikolas states that his goal is to combat what he considers "indoctrination" in classrooms. "It avoids indoctrination and ensures that the school presents data, methods, and uncertainties responsibly, distinguishing science from activism," the amendment text reads. According to the legislator, the change seeks to "train students to make decisions based on evidence, preserving neutrality and pluralism."
The congressman argues that the proposal is not anti-scientific, but aims to broaden the debate. "The topic has been hijacked," he stated. For him, encouraging the confrontation of ideas is positive because it "creates in students a culture of evaluating various perspectives on a topic."
Nikolas Ferreira's position aligns with international discourses that question the scientific consensus on global warming. Former US President Donald Trump, for example, has stated at the UN that climate change is "the biggest hoax" and attributed predictions of environmental disasters to "stupid people." In Brazil, politicians from the Bolsonaro camp, such as former minister Osmar Terra (PL-RS), also question the evidence of global warming—despite experts pointing out that extreme weather events, such as intense cold and floods, are precisely consequences of these changes.
Despite the justifications, scientists emphasize that the global consensus on the topic is solid and based on decades of research. Although there are different perspectives on the speed of change, its specific causes, and the policies for responding, the existence of the phenomenon and its origin linked to human activity are widely recognized.
Recently, Nikolas received several criticisms for calling a female internet user who criticized him on social media a "piranha." The woman in question announced that she will sue him.
