Climate change skepticism seeps into classrooms
By Neela Banerjee, Los Angeles Times
WASHINGTON — A flash point has emerged in American science education that echoes the battle over evolution, as scientists and educators report mounting resistance to the study of man-made climate change in middle and high schools.
Although scientific evidence increasingly shows that fossil fuel consumption has caused the climate to change rapidly, the issue has grown so politicized that skepticism of the broad scientific consensus has seeped into classrooms.
Texas and Louisiana have introduced education standards that require educators to teach climate change denial as a valid scientific position. South Dakota and Utah passed resolutions denying climate change. Tennessee and Oklahoma also have introduced legislation to give climate change skeptics a place in the classroom.
In May, a school board in Los Alamitos passed a measure, later rescinded, identifying climate science as a controversial topic that required special instructional oversight.
“Any time we have a meeting of 100 teachers, if you ask whether they’re running into pushback on teaching climate change, 50 will raise their hands,” said Frank Niepold, climate education coordinator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, who meets with hundreds of teachers annually. “We ask questions about how sizable it is, and they tell us it is [sizable] and pretty persistent, from many places: your administration, parents, students, even your own family.”
Against this backdrop, the National Center for Science Education, an Oakland-based watchdog group that supports the teaching of evolution through advocacy and educational materials, plans to announce on Monday that it will begin an initiative to monitor the teaching of climate science and evaluate the sources of resistance to it.
NCSE, a small, nonpartisan group of scientists, teachers, clergy and concerned individuals, rose to prominence in the last decade defending evolution in the curriculum.
The controversy around “climate change education is where evolution was 20 years ago,” said Eugenie Scott, executive director of NCSE.
Lying self serving green pigs are feeling the heat.
All you need to do is go back and read some of the BS that was being spewed after Katrina to see how crazy these people are.
Remember how cutting down the trees on North Bowl was going to cause global warming?
Hey sunriser, got it, and they didn’t land on the moon, and 911 was a conspiracy, and Obama isn’t a citizen and the ice really isn’t melting and you will refuse your social security check because it’s against your ‘beliefs’ on freedom(yeah right)and you’ll listen to scientists when YOUR health is on the line and take your pills but YOU”RE the expert on science when it doesn’t fit nicely with your KOOKBALL outlook……hey sunriser, stay in bed, there’s a REAL world the rest of us live in.
I wonder if “sunriser2” thinks the sun rises because its orbiting the earth or the earth is orbiting the sun?
There are idiots born (or maybe made) every minute – and I am sure some folks still think the earth is flat. Why such folks even have a voice in developing school curriculum is beyond me. What most of these people dont realize (or are incapable of processing) is the arguement isnt just about correlations – certain elements that are by-products of industrial processes are known to retain heat and are exhibiting increased concentration in the atmosphere. It is that, along with observed warming trends that led to suspicions of man-made climatic effects. And the fact that this occurs against a backdrop of eons of climate change from non-human causes does not make the theory and more or any less robust. Scientists have been warning about the effects of carbon emmissions since the late 60’s – too bad we cant move all the naysayers to seaside locations so they can pray for the tides to receede and contemplate the difference between weather and climate.
The two directly above make a strong case for faith while mouthing non-science. The above article is yellow journalism at its best. Good enough to be nominated for the “Josef Goebbels Award of Merit.”
For instance the reporter(?) forgets or doesn’t know it is the “theory” of evolution. Not a small distinction.
Or how about when Neela states that “scientific evidence increasingly shows that fossil fuel comsumption has caused the climate to change rapidly” is only an opinion not scientific fact. There is plenty of research showing in fact the earth may be cooling.
Only ten thousand years ago you could ski in Tahoe all year round on any number of glaciers.
Well well well, look at the nazi imagery from the local conservative. Shocking.~
You liken this to the propaganda used by an organization of mass murderers. Obviously you are a rational person with well thought out opinions and knowledge of the subject of climate change that is supported by sound scientific research and data. Please, tell us more.
We would also like to know more about the the ‘evolution is only a theory’ argument, and how it relates to the scientific process, especially in modern science. Tell us all about the complicated modern medicine that is not ‘only a theory’ used by doctors.
“There is plenty of research showing in fact the earth may be cooling.”
No there isn’t. Please post some links to it.
Typical conservative.
Hey, CR, I am not trying to tell you how to live your live, unlike your wacko buddies, who want to control behavior and lifestyle so who is the totalitarian.
Science deniers, creationists, fundagelicals, foxbots, the ?? is… “evil Or stupid”.
Conservative Robot- stop your assaults, who the heck are you? You sound like a bumbling bafoon, criticizing all walks.
To Citizen Kane, (after your first few sentences) you make an educated, non-personal attack argument. I disagree with much of it. But that’s the kind of posting that elevates, not degrades, debate, thought and discussion!
I’ll just comment that even if you are correct, what’s the plan to get the whole world to go along with, and thus be able to enforce, a program?
And I also have to comment that the ultimate profiteer from the whole Global Warming matter, Al Gore DID recently move to the coast!
I am not telling you to not use hyperbolic nazi imagery. I am saying that when you do, you lose respect. Why would any reasonable person take you seriously after that kind of an introduction. Keep on doing it, i am not offended, I think it hilarious and we all learned something about you.
So about that ‘just a theory’ idea… do go on. Disagree with whatever you want, but this is a matter of science, not opinion.
Because Josef Goebbels was noted for his use of the media, which he totally controlled, to influence the populace. Get it. He was a master manipulator of the thoughts and feelings of the recipients of his propaganda. Lies, distortions, half-truths were all in his arsenal. Just like the man made global warming proponents. Oh yeah.
Where is your science degree from?
I’m going to make a suggestion. Why not stop using words that inflame. Please stop with the “buffoon”, “idiots”, “morons”, “typical XXX”, “stupid”, “kook”, “wacko” and the like. Try to stick to simple ideas and arguments. We all live together and discourse is difficult enough without personal attacks. It isn’t that hard, but I know that I still struggle with it, too.