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Captain Compassion
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Bill would require California's science curriculum to cover climate
change
SOME THINK SCIENCE ISN'T DEFINITIVE ENOUGH TO TEACH
By Paul Rogers Mercury News
Article Launched: 02/15/2008 01:42:53 AM PST
http://www.mercurynews.com/education/ci_8269190
A Silicon Valley lawmaker is gaining momentum with a bill that would
require "climate change" to be among the science topics that all
California public school students are taught.
The measure, by state Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, also would
mandate that future science textbooks approved for California public
schools include climate change.
"You can't have a science curriculum that is relevant and current if
it doesn't deal with the science behind climate change," Simitian
said. "This is a phenomenon of global importance and our kids ought to
understand the science behind that phenomenon."
The state Senate approved the bill, SB 908, Jan. 30 by a 26-13 vote.
It heads now to the state Assembly. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has
taken numerous actions to reduce global warming, but he has yet to
weigh in on Simitian's bill. Other Republicans in the Capitol,
however, are not happy about the proposal.
Some say the science on global warming isn't clear, while others worry
the bill would inject environmental propaganda into classrooms.
"I find it disturbing that this mandate to teach this theory is not
accompanied by a requirement that the discussion be science-based and
include a critical analysis of all sides of the subject," said Sen.
Tom McClintock, R-Thousand Oaks, during the Senate debate.
Only two Republicans voted for the bill, Sen. Abel Maldonado, R-San
Luis Obispo, and Sen. Tom Harman, R-Costa Mesa. Maldonado's district
includes Los Gatos, Morgan Hill, parts of San Jose, Scotts Valley,
Watsonville and Monterey. Harman represents Orange County. All 13 of
the no votes were from Republicans.
One of the opponents, Sen. Jeff Denham, R-Modesto, said he wants
guarantees that the views of global warming skeptics will be taught.
"Some wouldn't view them as skeptics. Some would view them as the
right side of the issue," said Denham, an Atwater almond farmer who
also runs a plastics recycling business.
"We don't have complete factual information yet," Denham said. "From
what I have seen the Earth has heated and cooled on its own for
centuries. I don't know that there's anything that is a direct cause
of that right now, but we can do a better job of cleaning up our
planet."
Simitian noted that his bill wouldn't dictate what to teach or in what
grades, but rather would require the state Board of Education and
state Department of Education to decide both.
Although global warming is mentioned in high school classes about
weather, it is currently not required to be covered in all textbooks,
said the head of the California Science Teachers Association.
"This is a great idea. I don't think there's any reason to talk about
politics," said Christine Bertrand, the group's executive director.
"There's no argument that there is climate change. The argument is how
much is caused by the activities of mankind."
Bertrand said teachers would have plenty to discuss: rising levels of
carbon dioxide, how temperatures are measured globally, and what is
known and not known about global warming.
Meanwhile, the 10 hottest years - ranked by global surface temperature
- since 1880 all have occurred since 1995, according to the National
Climatic Data Center, a federal agency in North Carolina.
In 2005, America's most prestigious scientific body, the National
Academy of Sciences, issued a statement with the headline "Climate
change is real." It was signed by the national scientific academies of
Japan, Britain, Canada, China, Germany, Italy, France, Russia, India
and Brazil. Citing direct measurements of air and oceans, along with
melting glaciers, it noted:
"There is now strong evidence that significant global warming is
occurring. . . . It is likely that most of the warming in recent
decades can be attributed to human activities. This warming has
already led to changes in the Earth's climate."
--
If you disagree with the theories and dogmas of Marxism or Scientific Socialism
then you are a tool of Capitalist interests. If you disagree with the theories
or dogmas of Catastrophic Anthropogenic Global Warming then you are a tool of
Capitalistic interests. Notice a pattern here? -- Captain Compassion
The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority but to
escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane. -- Marcus Aurelius
"...the whole world, including the United States, including all that
we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark
Age, made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights
of perverted science." -- Sir Winston Churchill
Joseph R. Darancette
daranc@NOSPAMcharter.net
change
SOME THINK SCIENCE ISN'T DEFINITIVE ENOUGH TO TEACH
By Paul Rogers Mercury News
Article Launched: 02/15/2008 01:42:53 AM PST
http://www.mercurynews.com/education/ci_8269190
A Silicon Valley lawmaker is gaining momentum with a bill that would
require "climate change" to be among the science topics that all
California public school students are taught.
The measure, by state Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, also would
mandate that future science textbooks approved for California public
schools include climate change.
"You can't have a science curriculum that is relevant and current if
it doesn't deal with the science behind climate change," Simitian
said. "This is a phenomenon of global importance and our kids ought to
understand the science behind that phenomenon."
The state Senate approved the bill, SB 908, Jan. 30 by a 26-13 vote.
It heads now to the state Assembly. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has
taken numerous actions to reduce global warming, but he has yet to
weigh in on Simitian's bill. Other Republicans in the Capitol,
however, are not happy about the proposal.
Some say the science on global warming isn't clear, while others worry
the bill would inject environmental propaganda into classrooms.
"I find it disturbing that this mandate to teach this theory is not
accompanied by a requirement that the discussion be science-based and
include a critical analysis of all sides of the subject," said Sen.
Tom McClintock, R-Thousand Oaks, during the Senate debate.
Only two Republicans voted for the bill, Sen. Abel Maldonado, R-San
Luis Obispo, and Sen. Tom Harman, R-Costa Mesa. Maldonado's district
includes Los Gatos, Morgan Hill, parts of San Jose, Scotts Valley,
Watsonville and Monterey. Harman represents Orange County. All 13 of
the no votes were from Republicans.
One of the opponents, Sen. Jeff Denham, R-Modesto, said he wants
guarantees that the views of global warming skeptics will be taught.
"Some wouldn't view them as skeptics. Some would view them as the
right side of the issue," said Denham, an Atwater almond farmer who
also runs a plastics recycling business.
"We don't have complete factual information yet," Denham said. "From
what I have seen the Earth has heated and cooled on its own for
centuries. I don't know that there's anything that is a direct cause
of that right now, but we can do a better job of cleaning up our
planet."
Simitian noted that his bill wouldn't dictate what to teach or in what
grades, but rather would require the state Board of Education and
state Department of Education to decide both.
Although global warming is mentioned in high school classes about
weather, it is currently not required to be covered in all textbooks,
said the head of the California Science Teachers Association.
"This is a great idea. I don't think there's any reason to talk about
politics," said Christine Bertrand, the group's executive director.
"There's no argument that there is climate change. The argument is how
much is caused by the activities of mankind."
Bertrand said teachers would have plenty to discuss: rising levels of
carbon dioxide, how temperatures are measured globally, and what is
known and not known about global warming.
Meanwhile, the 10 hottest years - ranked by global surface temperature
- since 1880 all have occurred since 1995, according to the National
Climatic Data Center, a federal agency in North Carolina.
In 2005, America's most prestigious scientific body, the National
Academy of Sciences, issued a statement with the headline "Climate
change is real." It was signed by the national scientific academies of
Japan, Britain, Canada, China, Germany, Italy, France, Russia, India
and Brazil. Citing direct measurements of air and oceans, along with
melting glaciers, it noted:
"There is now strong evidence that significant global warming is
occurring. . . . It is likely that most of the warming in recent
decades can be attributed to human activities. This warming has
already led to changes in the Earth's climate."
--
If you disagree with the theories and dogmas of Marxism or Scientific Socialism
then you are a tool of Capitalist interests. If you disagree with the theories
or dogmas of Catastrophic Anthropogenic Global Warming then you are a tool of
Capitalistic interests. Notice a pattern here? -- Captain Compassion
The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority but to
escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane. -- Marcus Aurelius
"...the whole world, including the United States, including all that
we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark
Age, made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights
of perverted science." -- Sir Winston Churchill
Joseph R. Darancette
daranc@NOSPAMcharter.net
