Climate change in Texas science textbooks causes divisions on state's education board
Climate change in Texas science textbooks causes divisions on state's education board
How science textbooks in Texas address climate change is at the center of a key vote. Some Republicans on the Texas State Board of Education have criticized them for being too negative toward fossil fuels in America’s biggest oil and gas state.
How science textbooks in Texas address climate change is at the center of a key vote expected Friday after some Republican education officials criticized books for being too negative toward fossil fuels in America’s biggest oil and gas state.
The issue of which textbooks to approve has led to new divisions on the Texas State Board of Education, which over the years has faced other heated curriculum battles surrounding how evolution and U.S. history is taught to the more than 5 million students.
Science standards adopted by the board’s conservative majority in 2021 do not mention creationism as an alternative to evolution. Those standards also describe human factors as contributors to climate change.
But some Republicans on the 15-member board this week waved off current textbook options as too negative toward fossil fuels and for failing to include alternatives to evolution. One of Texas’ regulators of the oil and gas industry, Republican Wayne Christian, has urged the board to “choose books that promote the importance of fossil fuels for energy promotion.”
too negative toward fossil fuels and for failing to include alternatives to evolution.
I was trying to think of a metaphor to really drive home how stupid this is, but the GOP has made argument ad absurdum curl up into a ball and beg for mercy.
Just legendary idiocy from people who decide what our kids learn.
We allow homeschooling, religious schools, etc. We allow them to set up an entire parallel system to meet their needs. We allow them to raise their children in a walled garden. Turns out what theyre truly concerned about is what YOUR kids are allowed to learn.
They’re afraid your kids will tell their kids there’s no Santa Claus.
I'll do my best for you, did they also fail to mention the competition to the theory of gravity, that everything stays on the ground because the holy spirit holds it there? Or the the alternative to germ theory, that people get sick because God wanted to punish them? Or what about the alternative to the theory of thermodynamics, that things get warm because an angel holds it real tight?
I've driven through parts of north western Texas and the oil rigs everywhere really seem to enforce how much oil brings employment to the areas much like parts of Alberta. It's barren, dry and hard worked over land that I'm not sure what else they would do with. Outside of the odd places with water holes like Balmorhea it's just harsh.
Now I do get a serious evil vibe by this push to keep the public confused and focused on these issues versus what's going on environmentally. If everyone is fighting over this crap that was already decided on sometime back, they can do whatever they want in these other areas.
They want to make the people think that them pump jacks out there are good for ‘em. Get rid of the stigma behind oil pollution.
Just recently an earthquake was felt all the way in west Texas after it originated near Odessa/Midland. Someone with critical thinking skills will say “oh that’s bad, the fracking is causing earthquakes we should investigate further” vs the mind numbness that they want which consists of “let’s keep goin till something bad happens yeah?”
I wonder what their ground water is like out there. I hear the air has a certain chemical smell to it too.
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Oh, it's worse than that: these are the same people screaming and yelling about "indoctrination" for acknowledging that not everyone is heterosexual or cis-gendered.
All while pushing religious agenda on to them
It's sad. There are a lot of capable people in Texas who would be smarter if they had better education.
The education system in Texas was a real wake up call for me after spending most of my time on the East Coast. It's a world of difference.
As a Texan I’m so thankful that my science books in elementary school talked about the ozone hole and the ones in middle school talked about the big bad man made CFC chemicals that caused it.
Heck, the last cool thing I remember was Al Gore being on the near back of the book talking about climate change hahahahaha.
Growing up it always seemed so weird to see the news talking about the south as an ass-on-backwards place where people were uneducated when we were taught the theory of evolution, chemistry, and forced to read books that are banned in some places today.
Idk, I honestly believe these guys in charge are all the dudes that got called dumb nepo babies by close friends, like they need to prove that their version of things (the version where god cares about what you do with your dick and hates if you like wearing skirts) must also be true since it has landed them so much success.
Selling your spine was what made you so successful. You meritless, stupid bastards.
and for failing to include alternatives to evolution.
For fuck's sake, we already had argument 98 FUCKING YEARS AGO! The South won't rise again either you chumps.
The controversy is going to end decisively when Texas becomes uninhabitable.
But I will be blamed on wind and solar killing whales, unfortunately by half the state.
And Jewish space lazers
Probably. Reality will roll over them anyway.
You see kids, destroying the world for future generations was very profitable, and a good thing that God approved of
Fucking Republicans
Oh remember Texas, where the Whites fought against the Dirty Mexican Slavers to enshrine Freedom For All, where the Christians fought against the dinosaurs to make the earth safe, where the big Oil Companies fought against the dirty clean energy companies to make the air breathable again, and reverse global warming.