NCSE Evolution and Climate Education Update for 2014/09/19
Submitted by Peter Burns on Fri, 2014-09-19 22:19.
National Center for Science Education
(by NCSE Deputy Director Glenn Branch)
Dear friends of NCSE, The treatment of climate science in social studies textbooks in Texas is in the headlines, with a hearing before the state board of education and NCSE and the Texas Freedom Network warning of distortions and bias. And NCSE's Eugenie C. Scott receives the James Randi Educational Foundation's Award for Skepticism in the Public Interest.
THE LATEST FROM TEXAS When the Texas state board of education held a hearing on September 16, 2014, on social studies textbooks submitted for state adoption, the treatment of climate science was among the topics. Charles Jackson, a research scientist at the University of Texas's Institute for Geophysics, criticized "inaccurate textbook coverage casting doubt on the overwhelming scientific consensus that climate change is a serious and growing threat," according to the Texas Freedom Network's live-blog of the hearing (September 16, 2014). In a joint press release issued the day before the hearing, NCSE and the Texas Freedom Network announced that "an examination of how proposed social studies textbooks for Texas public schools address climate change reveals distortions and bias that misrepresent the broad scientific consensus on the phenomenon." A number of errors about climate science were present, as well as a quotation from a notorious climate change denial organization presented in rebuttal of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The findings received wide coverage in the state and national press, including the National Journal and Ars Technica (both on September 15, 2014) and the Houston Press, Texas Public Radio, the Guardian, Newsweek, and Mother Jones (all on September 16, 2014). NCSE's Josh Rosenau told Mother Jones, "In this day, social studies education ought to include an in-depth discussion of climate change ... But if you include the topic, it becomes a flash point with conservatives on the board of education." The Texas state board of education is expected to make a final decision on the social studies textbooks in November 2014, and the materials will be used in Texas's public schools beginning in the 2015-2016 school year. Concerned Texans are urged to add their names to a joint petition from NCSE and the Texas Freedom Network which will be delivered to the Texas state board of education and to the publishers of the textbooks in question, demanding that the errors about climate science be removed and corrected. For TFN's live-blog of the hearing, visit: http://tfninsider.org/2014/09/16/live-blogging-the-texas-textbook-public-hearing/ For the press release, visit: http://ncse.com/climate/proposed-texas-textbooks-distort-climate-change-facts For the cited coverage, visit: http://www.nationaljournal.com/energy/proposed-texas-textbooks-teach-climate-change-doubt-20140915 http://arstechnica.com/science/2014/09/texas-textbooks-butcher-climate-change-coveragein-social-studies/ http://blogs.houstonpress.com/news/2014/09/crazy_texas_textbook_proposals_the_science_edition.php http://tpr.org/post/board-education-takes-issues-climate-change-social-studies-textbooks http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/sep/16/texas-proposes-rewriting-school-text-books-to-deny-manmade-climate-change http://www.newsweek.com/texas-proposed-new-textbooks-offer-false-information-climate-change-denialism-270931 http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/09/texas-textbooks-promote-climate-change-denial-downplay-segregation For the petition, visit: http://ncse.com/taking-action/climate-change-denial-texas-social-studies-textbooks And for NCSE's previous coverage of events in Texas, visit: http://ncse.com/news/texas PROPOSED TEXAS TEXTBOOKS DISTORT CLIMATE FACTS "An examination of how proposed social studies textbooks for Texas public schools address climate change reveals distortions and bias that misrepresent the broad scientific consensus on the phenomenon," charged the Texas Freedom Network and the National Center for Science Education in a joint press releaseissued on September 15, 2014. Accompanying the press release was a brief analysis of the treatment of climate change in the textbooks. Among the most problematic claims about climate science in the social studies textbooks submitted for state adoption: a statement that fossil fuel emissions have caused a hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica; a claim that scientists "disagree about what is causing climate change"; and a quotation from a notorious climate change denial organization presented in rebuttal of the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change. "The scientific debate over whether climate change is happening and who is responsible has been over for years, and the science textbooks Texas adopted last year make that clear," explained NCSE's Minda Berbeco. "Climate change will be a key issue that future citizens of Texas will need to understand and confront, and they deserve social studies textbooks that reinforce good science and prepare them for the challenges ahead." But the social studies textbooks under consideration too often fail to reach that goal, added Kathy Miller, president of the Texas Freedom Network Education Fund. "In too many cases we're seeing publishers shade and even distort facts to avoid angering politicians who vote on whether their textbooks get approved," Miller said. "Texas kids deserve textbooks that are based on sound scholarship, not political biases." According to the Austin American-Statesman (September 10, 2014), the Texas state board of education is scheduled to have a public hearing on the social studies textbooks on September 16, 2014. Thomas Ratliff, a member of the board, told the newspaper that the board considers only whether the books have factual errors and cover fifty percent of the state standards: "If there's a complaint about the standards, that ship has sailed." The Texas state board of education is expected to make a final decision on the social studies textbooks in November 2014. Concerned Texans are urged to add their names to a joint petition from NCSE and the Texas Freedom Network which will be delivered to the Texas state board of education and to the publishers of the textbooks in question, demanding that the errors about climate science be removed and corrected. For the press release and the analysis (PDF), visit: http://ncse.com/climate/proposed-texas-textbooks-distort-climate-change-facts http://ncse.com/files/Texas-social-studies-report-2014.pdf For the story in the Austin American-Stateman, visit: http://www.statesman.com/news/news/local/scholars-say-proposed-texas-textbooks-are-biased-i/nhKQZ/ For the petition, visit: http://ncse.com/taking-action/climate-change-denial-texas-social-studies-textbooks And for NCSE's previous coverage of events in Texas, visit: http://ncse.com/news/texas JREF AWARD FOR NCSE'S SCOTT Eugenie C. Scott, the former executive director of NCSE and the present chair of NCSE's Advisory Council, received the James Randi Educational Foundation's Award for Skepticism in the Public Interest at The Amazing Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 12, 2014. She was surprised by the award at the end of her talk, "Playing with Deception: Frauds, Hoaxes, Pranks, and Urban Legends," available on the foundation's YouTube channel (at about the 25:00 mark), by James Randi, who said: *** I've known Eugenie Scott for many, many years now. It's always been a pleasure to speak with her and to have her attend as many TAMs as she has. And now it's my very distinct pleasure to present her with this special award. The James Randi Educational Foundation presents you with the James Randi Award for Skepticism in the Public Interest. It's presented to Dr. Eugenie Scott with gratitude for her steadfast advocacy work in support of scientific skepticism and in defense of science education. *** In reply, Scott expressed her gratitude, describing the James Randi Educational Foundation as "a wonderful organization that I hope you support," and said, of the commemorative plaque accompanying the award, "I will treasure this." For the video of the presentation, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpjYgu8KSGA&index=10&list=PL8MfjLNsf_mhGXj6Pm-cutEJBUXnDzm1e And for information on the James Randi Educational Foundation, visit: http://www.randi.org WHAT'S NEW FROM THE SCIENCE LEAGUE OF AMERICA Have you been visiting NCSE's blog, The Science League of America, recently? If not, then you've missed: * Stephanie Keep horsing around with equid evolution: http://ncse.com/blog/2014/09/horse-is-horse-course-course-as-long-as-you-know-what-horse-0015872 http://ncse.com/blog/2014/09/horse-is-horse-course-course-as-long-as-you-know-what-horse-0015875 * Robert Luhn pondering a Jehovah's Witnesses pamphlet on climate change: http://ncse.com/blog/2014/09/all-along-climate-watchtower-0015877 * Glenn Branch examining a minor argument in Hume's Dialogues concerning Natural Religion: http://ncse.com/blog/2014/09/dating-cherry-part-1-0015857 http://ncse.com/blog/2014/09/dating-cherry-part-2-0015859 And much more besides! For The Science League of America, visit: http://ncse.com/blog Thanks for reading. And don't forget to visit NCSE's website -- http://ncse.com -- where you can always find the latest news on evolution and climate education and threats to them. -- Sincerely, Glenn Branch Deputy Director National Center for Science Education, Inc. 420 40th Street, Suite 2 Oakland, CA 94609-2509 510-601-7203 x303 fax: 510-601-7204 800-290-6006 branch@ncse.com http://ncse.com Check out NCSE's new blog, Science League of America: http://ncse.com/blog Read Reports of the NCSE on-line: http://reports.ncse.com Subscribe to NCSE's free weekly e-newsletter: http://groups.google.com/group/ncse-news NCSE is on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter: http://www.facebook.com/evolution.ncse http://www.youtube.com/NatCen4ScienceEd http://twitter.com/ncse NCSE's work is supported by its members. Join today! http://ncse.com/join
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