Climate denial in text books??

California school children are being taught with misleading textbooks. According to a recent article in the Guardian Newspaper, the science books used by sixth-graders in that state express doubt about whether climate change is real.

That article summarized a Stanford University study, which analyzed four different science textbooks and found that they “framed climate change as uncertain in the scientific community – both about whether it is occurring as well as about its human-causation.”

In fact, one of the books actually claims that climate change “could have some positive effects.” Despite the fact that there is virtually no debate on whether climate change is occurring, all of these books use conditional words like “may”, “might”, or “could” when discussing the climate.

One of the authors of the Stanford study, KC Busch, said, “Saying that 'if temperatures go up, climate change could occur' is completely misleading.” She added, “We don't want children to be brainwashed; we just need to be clear about what scientists know and what they are uncertain of.”

Students' educations should not depend on political ideology, and it's time to get the climate science denial out of our education system.

Comments

Willie W's picture
Willie W 7 years 16 weeks ago
#1

I thought everyone agreed that climate change was occurring. That the disagreement was over the causes. Natural hot / cold Earth cycles, or CO2 emissions.

RickNelsomn's picture
RickNelsomn 7 years 16 weeks ago
#2

What can be done Thom? Deniers are still prolific and troll many sites. DKos, Huffpo, the Gaurdian, etc... I read all these. Taking time for deep denier sites isn't productive. Reading or discussing with them is spinning wheels or game playing trolls desire wasting time.

stecoop01's picture
stecoop01 7 years 16 weeks ago
#3

Students education shouldn't depend on religious ideology either, but there's lots of that going on as well; until we have an educational system the teaches FACTS only (leave theoretical teachings for the college level) we will have people who are confused about the facts and the truth, and unable to think for themselves or make good decisions. I point to our current crop of republican politicians as shining examples.

ChicagoMatt 7 years 16 weeks ago
#4

Progressives are all for using education for social engineering, when it fits their world view. I would argue that the switch from "education as job-readiness" to "education as social engineering", that began in the 60s, is one of the primary causes of failed public school systems around the country.

When discussing anything about education, you should first ask yourself:

1. Do I have a child at this school?

If your answer is "no", then what difference does it make to you?

If your answer is "yes", then you could and should get active in the PTA and school board. And if you still don't like what they're teaching your child, you should be able to move your child, and the tax money attached to that child, to the school of your choice. Even if that school is private.

2950-10K's picture
2950-10K 7 years 16 weeks ago
#5

The propaganda in the textbooks is just another way to manipulate youthful minds, more evidence the Fascists are gaining control, or should I say out of control, and have undermined our liberty. Any teacher allowing these books in his or her classroom should be ashamed of themselves.....these sixth graders are facing a horrific post modern dark age.

Time for community book burnings as peaceful protest. Maybe the parents could do a class action lawsuit against the publisher. One way or another, we progressives need to fight back. It's no longer just about economic and social injustice issues, the survival of the planet is at stake. This all because a few think they need countless billions, and are using these billions to install Fascism, and thus thwart all political efforts to curb climate change.

Where the hell is our representative government? Since when did the state government of California of all places start allowing Fox News for content in sixth grade textbooks???? You would think the drought out there would cause outrage over these books!!!

wslifko 7 years 16 weeks ago
#6

Yes, this needs to be changed so that they can be properly educated. And while they're at it, how about fixing the problem history textbooks as well?

ChristopehrCurrie's picture
ChristopehrCurrie 7 years 16 weeks ago
#7

If I were a sixth grade school teacher, I would use such textbook claims to illustrate to my students how there are beign mislead by political influences and corproate greed.

Willie W's picture
Willie W 7 years 16 weeks ago
#8

"Climate Change Theater Action." Being put on by one of our local high schools. To encourage conversations about climate change and what can be done to address the issue locally. Not all schools are going blind.

RLTOWNSLEY's picture
RLTOWNSLEY 7 years 16 weeks ago
#9

In addition, we should not restrain our contempt for those ignorant individuals who dared to challenge the church's accepted doctrine that the Earth was Flat ! The Galileo case harks back nearly four centuries and yet there are still books being written about it and science magazines editorializing on it. A fact or is this thesis largely based on myths promoted by individuals with agendas of their own. Four hundred years and counting, when do you think it will finally be laid to rest ?

Kerry McCune's picture
Kerry McCune 7 years 16 weeks ago
#10

Sadly, ideology has always dictated what is included in school textbooks. The word "professor" comes from the title given to "learned men" who would profess "god's plan" in any new, approved discoveries and how they proved the gospells in the original University system.

Dr PeterPalms's picture
Dr PeterPalms 7 years 16 weeks ago
#11

Phoenix Five Earth Changes Bulletin
2014, by Michael Wells Mandeville

Bulletin Item: Climate Change (Global Governance Takeover) talks in Paris starting a day early. (Nov 29) 2015

http://phys.org/news/2015-11-paris-climate-conference-day-early.html

I have decided to sit with this to summarize the machinations and the fundamental critiques to produce a serious document which will hold throughout the next few years on the topic.

The reason is very simple. Quite a few perspectives have finally brought together enough data and empirical observations to be very clear about the fundamentals.

Global Warming is not happening

All the claims and charts and reports about such are contrived exercises of extreme quackademery.

There is no significant "climate change" in the sense of a transformation of natural processes.

There are natural solar driven processes which are clearly "cycling" the planet into a "cool phase"

The concept of "extreme weather" now being reported widely has been induced by the same jackasses pushing global warming as a concept. We are more aware of extreme events because of increased reporting and weather analysis and an induced hyper-sensitivity to the issue. Somewhere a local record is ALWAYS being broken. ALWAYS.

Tornadoes and Hurricanes are actually at lower levels overall than in previous decades.

Physicists (real ones) prove that co2 levels cannot alter the average heat of the earth. The idea that CO2 levels of any kind are causing climate changes of any kind is mathematically impossible. The claim is nothing more than a phony scam for manipulating gullible people.

The fundamental long term perspective which is easily proven is that the Earth is in a major "cool phase" compared to the millenniums and geological ages of the past. There was a recent warming up (slight) during the last half of the 20th century along with an increase in average solar activity which spanned most of the same decades.

The Sun is now less activity and appears or "looks" like it may get less active like previous "cool periods" during the past 1000 years.

Mirroring this decline, almost all glaciation is increasing on all continents. Polar ice at both ends is increasing. Greenland is colder, Canadian Arctic is colder, Antarctica is at record levels of growth.

2+2=4, it really does, draw the obvious conclusion.

So called sea level increase is decreasing. (BTW this measurements avoid the phenomenon of coastal uplift and coastal submergence in the great subduction zones, which is a ceaseless change - measuring a change in sea level at a place probably indicates little more than the rate of uplift or downwarp OF THE LAND at that particular spot).

In any event, the hysterical claims still being pushed by the Alarmists about a major rise in sea level is nothing but a hobgoblin to freak the "kids". There simply is not enough available ice to melt to create ANY average rise in sea level beyond a few centimeters. It would take a temperature change of 100 degrees on the South Pole to melt enough ice to change coastlines. It isn't going to happen by CO2. If if does so because of a huge change in solar output, melting ice would BE THE LEAST OF OUR PROBLEMS.

Everything has been debunked. EVERYTHING HAS BEEN DEBUNKED. EVERYTHING HAS BEEN DEBUNKED.

THE ISSUE OF CLIMATE CHANGE, AS PREDICTED DECADES AGO, IS NOTHING BUT POLITICAL THEATRE TO GRAB POWER FOR FREAKS WHO WANT TO IMPOSE DIKTAT OVER EVERY ASPECT OF YOUR LIFE. At the core of it are Bolsheviks who want to remake you in their image, and their image is not pretty, and their sponsors, the hereditary aristocracies whose cabals are busily re-creating neo-feudal estates for themselves to control all resources on Earth.

So actually the news is quite uplifting. They haven't a leg to stand on. They are a sick, sorry, and fairly stupid crew. They can and will be easily driven off the state of history. We will see some of that this next two weeks. There are major contentions and splits going on in the political elites, they will not be able to seal the deal the Bolsheviks want.

Just call the BS on all that they do and say. Every opportunity. Somebody mentions global warming? Look strangely at them and simply say, "Dude", it is simply not happening, It's all a big fat lie...haven't you noticed that winters are colder than the past?". That's the universal message, the universal meme which unlocks the scam and frees people from the hypnosis of the mass media.

Enjoy Thanksgiving. Give thanks especially that we can now decisively free ourselves from this hobgoblin. Later today or tomorrow I will send a compilation of U tube videos by experts who will march you through all the graphs and charts which document every aspect of what I have just said above.

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