Reading, 'Riting, and Roasting

News & Analysis
In the News Gristmill Blog Muckraker Podcast Features

Columns
Ask Umbra Victual Reality Weekly Recipes The Bottom Line From A to Green The Grist List

Support nonprofit, independent environmental journalism.
Donate to Grist.

ADVERTISING POLICY

[Advanced]

Tools: print | email | write to the editor | subscribe | RSS

California bill would require climate change to be taught in schools

Posted at 10:02 AM on 15 Feb 2008

Science textbooks approved for California public schools would have to cover climate change, and science teachers would be required to put warming in their curricula, under a bill approved by the state Senate and heading to the Assembly. Says state Sen. Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), who introduced the bill, "This is a phenomenon of global importance and our kids ought to understand the science behind that phenomenon." Critics of the bill had the usual concerns: children shouldn't be indoctrinated with environmental propaganda, climate science is uncertain, the skeptic voice wouldn't get fair time, blah blah blah.

source: The Mercury News

ADVERTISING POLICY

< Previous | Next >

Comments: (3 comments)

You are not logged in. Thus, you cannot post a comment. If you have a Gristmill account, log in below. If you don't have a Gristmill account, well, by all means go make one! Meet you back here in five.

How 'bout...

... adding a basic earth science course and a basic ecology course.

Children will quickly learn, free of the potential for political indoctrination, that humans affect our environment and they will recognize the necessity of being better stewards of our biological resources.

It would also encourage thinking about complex issues and finding practical solutions to problems... better citizens, better innovators, better business leaders, and better workers. Who could possibly dislike this?

by wiscidea at 10:41 AM on 15 Feb 2008

Um, yes...

Exactly right wiscidea. Surely climate change should be covered as a matter of course in whatever they do on science/geography/earth sciences (there must be something, mustn't there?).

Correct, people have doubts about climate change, in the same way as people have doubts about evolution. That doesn't mean you have to teach the sceptic view, any more than you have to teach creationism or intelligent design. Stick to the science. A healthy dose of scepticism and realisation that no science is 100% done and dusted should of course also be a part of the course (no pun intended).

If I share initials with 'Global Warming', is that a sign?

by tico89 at 8:51 PM on 16 Feb 2008

Weather Creationism

Now the libs have a religion to inject into science books as well.

Hip hip...

by jabailo at 9:17 AM on 17 Feb 2008

The comments of Grist users reflect the opinions of those individuals only, and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints of Grist, its staff, its board members, their psychotherapists, or their aestheticians. Got it?