An Inconvenient Truth: Squeezed from Classrooms
Jeanwah
Posts: 6,363
http://consciousearth.blogspot.com/2006/11/inconvenient-truth-squeezed-from.html
Monday, November 27, 2006
An Inconvenient Truth Squeezed from Classrooms
The producers of An Inconvenient Truth have offered to supply American classrooms with 50,000 copies of the movie free of charge. That offer has been rejected by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), the nation's leading science education teachers group, citing a risk to funding from key financial supporters.
One of those supporters is Exxon-Mobil.
The news was buried deep in the Washington Post website and reported by Laurie David, a producer of the film and founder of StopGlobalWarming.org
In their e-mail rejection, they (NSTA) expressed concern that other "special interests" might ask to distribute materials, too; they said they didn't want to offer "political" endorsement of the film; and they saw "little, if any, benefit to NSTA or its members" in accepting the free DVDs.
Gore, however, is not running for office, and the film's theatrical run is long since over. As for classroom benefits, the movie has been enthusiastically endorsed by leading climate scientists worldwide, and is required viewing for all students in Norway and Sweden.
Still, maybe the NSTA just being extra cautious. But there was one more curious argument in the e-mail: Accepting the DVDs, they wrote, would place "unnecessary risk upon the [NSTA] capital campaign, especially certain targeted supporters." One of those supporters, it turns out, is the Exxon Mobil Corp.
Oil industry supporters will be quick to endorse the decision, agreeing that An Inconvenient Truth does indeed represent a special interest. What they will conveniently ignore is that unlike industry friendly messages pushed into the curriculum, An Inconvenient Truth is based on, and endorsed by, objective science - the very subject the National Science Teachers Association says it promotes.
What truth is more inconvenient? It depends where your pay cheque comes from.
Monday, November 27, 2006
An Inconvenient Truth Squeezed from Classrooms
The producers of An Inconvenient Truth have offered to supply American classrooms with 50,000 copies of the movie free of charge. That offer has been rejected by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), the nation's leading science education teachers group, citing a risk to funding from key financial supporters.
One of those supporters is Exxon-Mobil.
The news was buried deep in the Washington Post website and reported by Laurie David, a producer of the film and founder of StopGlobalWarming.org
In their e-mail rejection, they (NSTA) expressed concern that other "special interests" might ask to distribute materials, too; they said they didn't want to offer "political" endorsement of the film; and they saw "little, if any, benefit to NSTA or its members" in accepting the free DVDs.
Gore, however, is not running for office, and the film's theatrical run is long since over. As for classroom benefits, the movie has been enthusiastically endorsed by leading climate scientists worldwide, and is required viewing for all students in Norway and Sweden.
Still, maybe the NSTA just being extra cautious. But there was one more curious argument in the e-mail: Accepting the DVDs, they wrote, would place "unnecessary risk upon the [NSTA] capital campaign, especially certain targeted supporters." One of those supporters, it turns out, is the Exxon Mobil Corp.
Oil industry supporters will be quick to endorse the decision, agreeing that An Inconvenient Truth does indeed represent a special interest. What they will conveniently ignore is that unlike industry friendly messages pushed into the curriculum, An Inconvenient Truth is based on, and endorsed by, objective science - the very subject the National Science Teachers Association says it promotes.
What truth is more inconvenient? It depends where your pay cheque comes from.
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Comments
that is fucking ridiculous.
~Ron Burgundy
The Austrian green party organised free screenings especially for schools. Teachers can register their classes and then get a date for a screening at a local cinema. I will actually be responsible for the DVD release over here and I plan to pester the minister of education as soon as we have a new one (we just voted) and everyone else who may not want to listen to get the movie out there.
They love you so badly for sharing their sorrow, so pick up that guitar and go break a heart - Kris Kristofferson
How much, exactly, are voting and education intertwined in Austria?
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The parties who got the most votes (SPÖ and ÖVP) are currently negotiating to form a coalition government. If they manage to do so, the different departments are going to be assigned to one of the parties. For example, now education is headed by someone from the ÖVP, but the SPÖ wants that department in the future, so we don't know who will be responsible yet. That also concerns the senior staff members.
The green party (Die Grünen) came out at 3rd place in this election and decided to stay in opposition (they could have negotiated to form a coalition with 2 other parties) along with the FPÖ and BZÖ who also got enough votes to get into our 'Nationalrat'. Every party has someone who ist responsible for educational matters though. So if for example the greens want to change something, they can bring forward a motion which will be discussed in parliament.
They love you so badly for sharing their sorrow, so pick up that guitar and go break a heart - Kris Kristofferson
Thank you.
The cause and effect of education is usually referred to the pocktbook in America, therefore, education is hardly worthy of anything mightier than the grade school bully.
And property taxes.
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Anytime.
We have a completely differnt system than the US or Canada. There are of course private schools, but the majority goes to public schools. We don't have different courses, but one class of up to 25 people stays together for the entire year (or for several years, depending on how many fail) and has the same schedule (with exeptions if there were for example different 2nd and 3rd languages chosen within one class).
We also have different school types to chose from after elementary school and again 4 years later. The fees for university are a whooping € 300,-/semester which students complain about :rolleyes:
When I was in school, the department of education paid for every class who wanted to see 'Schindler's List', so sometimes they do manage to do something that makes sense.
They love you so badly for sharing their sorrow, so pick up that guitar and go break a heart - Kris Kristofferson
I wish I could add to the conversation, yet, I'm just baffled by this story. And it needs to be kept up to the top.
Shindler's List is an incredible film.
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except by express written permission of ©gue_barium, the author.
schools really do need proper funding.
http://www.myspace.com/thelastreel http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=19604327965
I remember hearing on a news program that in a Far East country that kids weren't being taught history correctly, in specific, the details of World War II, and instead they were taught that the U.S. were not allies and were not helpful to their country during the war. (It may have been Japan, but I'm really not sure).
So, now we're going to falsify science being taught in schools just because it's not in agreement with what the corporate sponsers stand for? Do these Teachers Associations really need support of Exxon, I just wonder why the gov't isn't doing more, and instead we're forced to rely on dollars from corps instead.
when it hits you, you feel to pain.
So brutalize me with music.”
~ Bob Marley
I knew a person who served in a school board in PA. He said that only 0.3% of they annual budget came from the federal government, and a small percent as well from the state. Most of the funding came from property taxes in the district and fundraising. Like the original article noted, Exxon Mobil is one of the donors to the school, and they have been a long time deniers of climate change and global warming.
I think the school board has good reason to believe that they Exxon would pull their funding if they decide to accept and show the movie.
It's a shitty deal, but, unless the whole system of how schools are funded changes, the board's hands are tied.
Unless, of course, hypothetically speaking, they do accept the movies and when Exxon pulls their funding, they go to the media and raise a huge sting that would embarass Exxon. That might work.
Just found this today...
"Laurie David, a producer of An Inconvenient Truth, reports that the National Science Teachers Association has rejected 50,000 free classroom copies of the movie, citing 'unnecessary risk upon the [NSTA] capital campaign, especially certain targeted supporters.' One of those supporters turns out to be Exonn-Mobil."
This fear is unfortunately very founded.
Forgive my ignorance, but why do Exxon Mobil sponsor the education sustem?
PEACE
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Dublin 08/06
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I think what's more relevant to this discussion is why the government doesn't provide enough funds for the school so that they don't have to go out to corporations for charity.
when it hits you, you feel to pain.
So brutalize me with music.”
~ Bob Marley
Thats ridiculous. I know America has never exactly been the 'nanny' state but to not sufficiently fund your country's education system is a poor reflection upon a government.
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Dublin 08/06
Katowice 06/07 London 06/07 Dusseldorf 06/07 Nijgemen 06/07