Portland Public Schools bans material that casts doubt on climate change

[L. Coyote]

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

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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]

1. Let it spread across the country.

Kids are smart, they haven't been brainwashed and stupified by the GOP and their fossil fuel pals.

[shenmue]

2. Good move

[asiliveandbreathe]

3. Portland is caring for their children and respecting our

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]

4. This is how we defeat them on the Southern Oregon Coast

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]

5. Be Prepared

for the Free Speech lawsuits

[greiner3]

9. You forgot /s

[mountain grammy]

6. Excellent..

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]

25. Right on. Speaking up makes a difference.

[Akamai]

7. Makes me proud to be an Oregonian! Well done, Portland!!!

[MisterP]

8. keep in mind that the fundies have always been creatures of Big Capital

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]

10. Portland is the city where the voters

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]

12. You mean the 1970s is "recently"?

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]

14. Try again.

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]

15. Reading comprehension?

"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]

16. An anti-science poster calling me a fool.

[L. Coyote]

27. Maybe you are one. Why call someone anti-science if they point to a fact?

You really missed the point. Go back and start over, maybe read what was written this time ....

[former9thward]

28. The facts are on my side.

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]

17. Your argument, and the one you responded to, are pretty obviously NOT 'mutually exclusive' ...

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]

18. Oh how 'progressive' are you.

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]

22. All cities have the same pristine water ? Where you been ? I'll pass on the Flint H2O with fluoride

[former9thward]

24. The exception proves the rule.

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]

35. Plus REAL FOOD contains micro amounts of flouride which is absorbable, compared to the flouride

added to our water which is a by product of the fertilizer manufacturing industry.

[One_Life_To_Give]

11. Two wrongs don't make a right

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]

19. Your post is the only sane one here, it seems

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]

20. What are they teaching in science class these days?

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]

23. +1000...n/t

[Maedhros]

30. As a scientist, I'm with you.

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]

13. Harrumph! Texas :-(

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]

21. Good. n/t

[Fresh_Start]

26. I would love seeing this as a national education policy to the extent that is possible.

some things are just not best left to the states

[Agony]

29. That climate change is not a theory?

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]

31. Sorry for any confusion

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]

32. book banning is never a good idea as much as i would love to cheer it

the question becomes then how to be open to discussion without giving the knuckle draggers equal footing

[Nye Bevan]

33. Why not teach the kids everything, instead of banning stuff?

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]

37. While we're at it, we can teach Intelligent Falling when discussing gravity

How about Phlogiston instead of combustion in chemistry?

Earth, Air, Fire and Water? Sure, sounds like both sides to me.

[Dont call me Shirley]

34. I wish I would have raised my kids in Portland.

[happyslug]

36. And where are they going to get textbooks?

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.