CUNY Institute for Sustainable Cities Blog

Climate Change Education Takes a Hit in the Classroom

People talk about the tendency of contemporary America to be anti-intellectual. But what is perhaps more frightening is an anti-science tendency. Never mind that only 36% of Americans believe in climate change right about now. There is another whole subset of the population that believes in it even less–23% of white evangelical Protestants believe that there is “solid evidence” that the climate is changing.

Initially proponents of teaching creationism and intelligent design instead of evolutionary theory, the “fair representation of all theories” crew, now has climate change listed under its ranks as questionable science, that should not be taught in schools.

These are excerpts on the subject from an article in the NY Times.

In Kentucky, a bill recently introduced in the Legislature would encourage teachers to discuss “the advantages and disadvantages of scientific theories,” including “evolution, the origins of life, global warming and human cloning.”

In Louisiana, a law passed in 2008 says the state board of education may assist teachers in promoting “critical thinking” on all of those subjects.

Last year, the Texas Board of Education adopted language requiring that teachers present all sides of the evidence on evolution and global warming.

Oklahoma introduced a bill with similar goals in 2009, although it was not enacted.

In South Dakota, a resolution calling for the “balanced teaching of global warming in public schools” passed the Legislature this week. “Carbon dioxide is not a pollutant,” the resolution said, “but rather a highly beneficial ingredient for all plant life.”

Tags: Climate Change Education, Science Education