Portland Public Schools bans material that casts doubt on climate change
Source: Eder Campuzano | The Oregonian/OregonLive
The Portland Public Schools Board on Tuesday decided to ban any classroom materials that cast doubt on climate change. The resolution passed unanimously and requires that textbooks and other material purchased by the district present climate change as a fact rather than theory.
Material will also need to present human activity as one of the phenomenon's causes.
In testimony to the board, Bill Bigelow, a former Portland teacher, told district officials that "we don't want kids in Portland learning material courtesy of the fossil fuel industry."
Bigelow said that material that treats climate change as anything other than fact is published by companies making concessions for fossil fuel companies. ............
Read more: http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2016/05/portland_schools_bans_material_that_doubts_climate_change.html
This is how to defeat the Texas fundamentalists controlling educational material in the USA, one district, one city, one state at a time, until their textbooks are all history.
Religious fanatics should not control children's textbooks.[center]
procon
(15,805 posts)Kids are smart, they haven't been brainwashed and stupified by the GOP and their fossil fuel pals.
shenmue
(38,506 posts)asiliveandbreathe
(8,203 posts)World climate through sound education - Peace to all - and let sanity reign over our wonderful country.....as the southern states, Texas in particular, continue to dumb down their constituents...same here in AZ -
WHEN CRABS ROAR
(3,813 posts)We go into the local schools and teach facts as it relates to their personal lives.
Just look at this local web site.
http://www.redfishrocks.org/
bucolic_frolic
(43,284 posts)for the Free Speech lawsuits
greiner3
(5,214 posts)mountain grammy
(26,648 posts)After reading the 100th global warming hoax letter in our local paper, I sent the editor a copy of an LA Times editorial explaining why the paper would no longer publish letters from climate change deniers. To my surprise, I got a positive response, and there hasn't been a stupid climate change denying letter in our paper since. There is no "other side" of scientific facts.
L. Coyote
(51,129 posts)Akamai
(1,779 posts)MisterP
(23,730 posts)1970s-2010s as much as 1910s-20s
they wouldn't be saying only God can change the planet's overall temperature without a few bil a year from Exxon each year since 1988
former9thward
(32,077 posts)recently banned the use of fluoride in the water. The hipsters did not want the government putting "poison" into the water. Yep, real followers of science...
Bodych
(133 posts)There hasn't been fluoride in our water in decades. That's because of its pristine, natural quality straight from a protected area in the Cascade mountains, the Bull Run water supply.
If there is one thing Portlanders don't like, it's tampering with something that is the most pristine water source in the country. We don't want unnecessary chemicals added to our water. There's always toothpaste and ACT...ever hear of them?
We do, however, recognize that climate change is a reality, parks are worth preserving, clean air is important, light-rail is a necessity, pot is not dangerous, and bicyclists have rights, too.
We're so backwards here. Spread the word...
former9thward
(32,077 posts)1970s? You must have a selective memory. I would say May 22, 2013 is recent.
The mayor of Portland, Ore., has conceded defeat in an effort to add fluoride to the city's drinking water.
With more than 80 percent of the expected ballots counted late Tuesday night, the Multnomah County election website showed the fluoride proposal failing, 60 percent to 40 percent.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/05/22/portland-fluoride-water/2350329/
All cities have the same "pristine water" but they are scientific enough to know to try and battle cavities with fluoride. You are not.
Bodych
(133 posts)"Voters in Portland twice rejected fluoridation before approving it in 1978. That plan was overturned two years later, before any fluoride was ever added to the water."
Don't be such a fool.
former9thward
(32,077 posts)L. Coyote
(51,129 posts)You really missed the point. Go back and start over, maybe read what was written this time ....
former9thward
(32,077 posts)The poster tried to pretend this issue was something in the "1970s" not "recent". I showed the deception. That poster does not want fluoride in the water. That is anti-science. Are you on that wagon too?
brett_jv
(1,245 posts)What part of " has conceded defeat in an effort to *add* fluoride to the city's drinking water" is mutually exclusive with "flouride not having been in the water since the 1970's"?
What am I missing here?
Should communities not be allowed decide for themselves by vote whether or not they want fluoride added to their water supply? It's not like we're talking about whether or not the water is sanitary, fluoride is just an additive with a specific purpose of purportedly reducing cavities, but it can be supplanted very easily by the use of fluoride toothpaste and the like.
former9thward
(32,077 posts)We should take the individualistic approach to public health. So the people who can afford the higher priced toothpastes and fluoride rinses can have good teeth but the poor, well, too bad....
Person 2713
(3,263 posts)former9thward
(32,077 posts)You think Portland is the only city with "pristine water"? Pristine water is not a scientific term. You think Portland does not need to treat its "pristine water" before allowing people to drink it? The Portland Water Department has news for you.
Chlorine is added to disinfect the water of any potential natural contaminants.
Ammonia is added in a process called chloramination to ensure that water throughout the system meets federal and state drinking water regulations.
https://www.portlandoregon.gov/water/48904
Dont call me Shirley
(10,998 posts)added to our water which is a by product of the fertilizer manufacturing industry.
One_Life_To_Give
(6,036 posts)The ban should be on falsehoods, not inconvenient facts. The point of education is to learn to think not parrot pre-approved messages back to the establishment. Age appropriate debate of all the data should be had and guided by teachers well versed in the subject.
Imagine if similar had been said 100 years ago when we thought we new everything about physics. No need to debate anything as it would not really change anything other than the last decimal places of a few constants. Similarly current consensus and data about any scientific theory is always potentially subject to new ideas and potential gaps in our understanding.
7962
(11,841 posts)Because there IS a big difference between falsehoods and facts you dont like. Now I'm sure you might get some asking just what an "inconvenient fact" IS.
Yupster
(14,308 posts)I once did a science project on pyramid power. I put plants and meat under pyramids to see if they did better, lasted longer. It was an absolute failure.
Back then that was considered a successful scientific project.
I challenged existing scientific thinking with a thesis. I tested it with experiments, and it turned out the existing thinking was correct.
I guess today, that project wouldn't be allowed. It would just be settled fact that pyramid power was a fraud, and testing the fact wouldn't be allowed.
Kang Colby
(1,941 posts)Maedhros
(10,007 posts)I'm uncomfortable with banning ideas. If the ideas are wrong, the scientific method (or just good, old-fashioned logic) will show them to be wrong.
In my opinion, this just furthers the politicization of science.
ReRe
(10,597 posts)Instead of waiting for Texas to secede, we need to kick it out. Yes, of course, get the people with brains OUT before we do it. Let the people of Texas decide which place they want to live: in the civilized world or uncivilized world?
Now, Congratulations go out to Portland Public Schools for making this decision! This is what needs to happen all over the United States. Imagine: Start basing our lives on reality! instead of by some sort of political/capitalistic/"competitive" model.
Little Tich
(6,171 posts)Fresh_Start
(11,330 posts)some things are just not best left to the states
Agony
(2,605 posts)It damn well is a theory, a well established one.. This article highlights the problem with science education that has its genesis in the science curriculum in secondary education and the higher ed masters programs that feed teachers into the system.
OTOH we probably are in agreement that the situation is abysmal for a supposedly advanced society..
Fresh_Start
(11,330 posts)I wasn't saying climate change is/isn't a theory.
I understand what a theory is in science versus what a theory is in casual conversation
I'm merely happy that some school district somewhere is putting a stop to smoke screens against acknowledging climate change.
dembotoz
(16,832 posts)the question becomes then how to be open to discussion without giving the knuckle draggers equal footing
Nye Bevan
(25,406 posts)Tell them that the overwhelming majority of scientists believe that climate change is happening, but some don't. Explain how the fossil fuel industry propagates their point of view. Tell them the arguments for and against and let them make up their own minds.
hatrack
(59,592 posts)How about Phlogiston instead of combustion in chemistry?
Earth, Air, Fire and Water? Sure, sounds like both sides to me.
Dont call me Shirley
(10,998 posts)happyslug
(14,779 posts)Texas has controlled text books in the US for Texas buys books at the State level and then distribute them to local school districts. This is unlike any other state and makes Texas the single largest buyer of school texts in the US.
Being the single largest buyer, text book makers cater to what the Texas state school board wants. Other school district then buy those same text for all they have to pay is the additional cost of printing more books. This pushes out anyone whose books are NOT purchased by Texas. Thus there may no books to buy. Worse, the price is double what other text, approved by Texas, are selling for.
Thus this may sound nice, but can they actually do it is the real question.