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An Inconvenient Truth Sparks Parents’ Anger, Bizarre Reactions |
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| By Michael d'Estries in Climate Change, Education | January 25, 2007 | ||
What is it with people and ‘An Inconvenient Truth‘? You would almost think the movie tells people they must eat their children or something. Do people have issue with Al Gore or with the content; because honestly, I believe that if you had Billy Graham up there giving the same presentation, those against the film would suddenly be in favor of it.
And so today, we have another conflicted portion of America grappling with showing ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ to kids at school. In a suburb of Seattle, one man nearly had a heart-attack when he found out his daughter was going to watch Gore’s move in her science class. From the article,
“No you will not teach or show that propagandist Al Gore video to my child, blaming our nation — the greatest nation ever to exist on this planet — for global warming,” Hardiman wrote in an e-mail to the Federal Way School Board. The 43-year-old computer consultant is an evangelical Christian who says he believes that a warming planet is “one of the signs” of Jesus Christ’s imminent return for Judgment Day.”
That sets you up for what we’re dealing with here. Additional emails of concern imposed a ban on screenings of the film for the district’s 22,500 students. That ban was lifted earlier this week, but is still subject to rigorous conditions; such as providing balanced counter-evidence against the content in the film. According to the article, the action has appalled the film’s producers and triggered a ferocious national backlash; with people calling and writing and accusing them [the school board] of scientific ignorance, pandering to religion and imposing prior restraint on free speech. Ouch.
At the conclusion of the debate it was decided that the film may be shown only with the written permission of a principal — and only when it is balanced by alternative views that are approved by both a principal and the superintendent of schools. Of course, that’s a little difficult when a majority of the scientific community stands behind Gore’s message. As the article pointed out,
“His daughter’s science teacher, meanwhile, said she is struggling to find authoritative articles to counter the information in the Gore documentary.
“The only thing I have found so far is an article in Newsweek called ‘The Cooling World,’ ” Walls said.
It was written 37 years ago.”
Seems counter-intuitive to encourage kids to respect the planet and then present them with evidence letting them know that it’s okay not to give a damn. But hey, America’s number one! Who give a crap about the rest of the world?
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Chelee said,
This so reminds me of the teaching of evolution in school. Hopefully, they will realize it’s not a theory but a proven fact. I’m sure I can find all kinds of “evidence” that the sun actually revolves around the earth but it’s not based in scientific fact.
RV said,
Some people just prefer to live with blinders on. This so ridiculous. Hey while we’re at it, why don’t we also forgo telling students about Newton’s Law of Gravity until we can find additional material with alternative views on why we don’t fall off the face of the earth!
More ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ backlash…-- said,
[...] Originally found on GroovyGreen. [...]
Webs’ Random Ideas » Blog Archive » Duhhhh… Dat Der Global Warmin Umm Hmm said,
[...] Here is the shinning star of this dipshit though (found via Groovy Green): “No you will not teach or show that propagandist Al Gore video to my child, blaming our nation — the greatest nation ever to exist on this planet — for global warming,” Hardiman wrote in an e-mail to the Federal Way School Board. The 43-year-old computer consultant is an evangelical Christian who says he believes that a warming planet is “one of the signs” of Jesus Christ’s imminent return for Judgment Day.” [...]
Ppaul pPriore said,
YEah USis the BEST so Continue poluting. Oh Sorry where in the Same World and BTW scientist haven’t found anything alike this Earth. So By continuing to be a STUPID as A Good’ol’American We’re Killing Ourselfs and those stupid god Them Retarded REST of the World. Yeah AmeriCans – We were born to be Dumb . Global Warming is Good because Jesus is coming…. Yes if that doesn’t change we all be in a Living HEll. That’s the conviniet Thruth that should be passing in thisretarded Country
Kelly said,
Wow, this article depressed me more than the movie did. This guy’s attitude is the scariest thing about christianity in America, IMO. Ignorance is bliss huh?
Stu said,
Religion is proving yet again to be an evil (to use their terminology) divisive, mind-polluting monstrosity.
A ‘computer consultant’ (who works in a field that would seem to require some level of logical reasoning ability) can
spout such nonsense, and the most nonsensical aspect is that ‘teachers’ at any level listen to him.
The blind are leading the blind in the land of the blind and Jesus Bush is apparently a blind king.
Disgusting that this should even become an issue.
Sad country.
Cory said,
Al “private jet” Gore is a hypocrite. This movie is full of inaccuracies. Such as the hockey stick theory. Which has been shown to be false. Also how many of the scientists were climatologist? If the kids science teacher is having problems finding info to counter the movie she doesn’t know how to google. There are plenty of “deniers” (the vogue word now) out there. In fact many of them are actually well respected scientists. Some of them have actually had their work twisted by the U.N.’s IPCC. Now I will agree that the parent is a idiot but the debate about the causes of warming or if there is really warming is not over. Nor should it be. Here is some interesting reading. http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/story.html?id=22003a0d-37cc-4399-8bcc-39cd20bed2f6&k=0
steve-o said,
Scary to think a teacher can’t find information using the internet/Google. She might want to look at junkscience.com.
Joe said,
You talk about religion being bad. The newest religion is the church of Global Warming.You have to have faith because there is no proof that warming is caused by humans.
I don’t deny that the earth is getting warmer. The sun is in a cycle of solar flares that will soon stop. The ice on one pole is shrinking while ice is growing on the other one.
I could go on, but all you have to do is do a Google search and find all the information that you want.
Anag said,
I still vote for launching the whole continent of north america to the orbit. Let them spread their crap there, away from rest of us.
dru said,
60 years ago industry was leaching PCB and Mercury into the environment. Even though it was stopped, PCB and Mercury is still heavily present in food, especially ocean and fresh water fish.
PCB and Mercury are highly toxic cancer causing agents.
Same thing with Ozone depletion, which we have reversed by changing our ways! cool!
Why presume global warming is NOT concern? It only requires a little research.
If you don’t believe Al Gore, then check his sources. Find other sources. Its not hard.
Dont be confused, there IS global warming. How much and how quickly is the only question, and our accuracy is increasing. We WILL have to make changes.
daniel said,
i’ve been cheated, i’ve been lied to! i can’t believe none of my teachers ever gave the other-side’s eveidence to the theory of gravity!
Wake Up said,
Uh, sad people, take your heads out of the sand, we’re doing very little to accelerate global warming. Who cares about the majority, what you all fail to realize that the data that Al Gore uses is based on shoddy data sets and models, and the UN report from which he gets some of his information is steeped in bureaucracy, and has failed miserably to report on the complete lack of consensus on the issue since ‘91. Critical thinking, you all posses none. Go be insulted and while you’re at it look up http://www.friendsofscience.org. And please don’t tell me your bullshit, You can’t deny the CO2, yes you can. Go read the real science.
jared said,
It is quite sad, in my opinion, that such a level of willful ignorance exists in “the greatest nation in the world.” We will pay for it someday, when we wake up and discover we are not on top of the heap anymore.
I live in the middle of the Bible Belt, in Kansas, and Evangelical Christians are one of the scariest religious sects I have ever had the displeasure to have known. The fact that they start brainwashing their children and indoctrinating them into their religion as soon as they are old enough to read and write is a truly disgusting perversion of God’s word, if you believe it really is His word.
For a long time now, and especially in Kansas (google ‘intelligent design’ and see what comes up), people have been very reluctant to accept the theory of evolution. I am somewhat embarrassed to live here because of it. When put to the test, these people generally try to lose their audience in semantics, e.g. “It’s just a THEORY.” The scientific definition of theory is basically indisputable fact, while the popular definition is much closer to unproven conjecture. Trying to trick people into agreeing with them in this manner leads me to believe they must have nothing else to work with. Why else would they rely on such shoddy and poorly organized information?
I can somewhat accept the evolution/intelligent design debate existing. It deals directly with the creation of life and the universe, and people are seriously volatile when it comes to their religious beliefs about that sort of thing.
What I don’t accept is that global warming somehow is a religious issue. The theory’s adversaries, and especially those belonging millennialist religions such as Christian Evangelism, have a tendency, as does our erstwhile friend Mr. Hardiman, to believe it doesn’t matter, and we can trash the earth because Jesus is coming to save us. I personally like the Hansel and Gretel fairy tale better. If God exists, and Jesus is coming to save everyone (that talks to him in tongues), I can’t help but feel almost certain he would be rather ticked off at such religions for developing their own political agendas, little of which has to do with God.
I guess what I’m trying to say, Mr. Hardiman, is kill yourself and do us all a favor.
Thanks.
james said,
OK. Global warming isn’t happening. Humans are incapable of doing anything wrong, this applies especially to Americans. Gore is clearly way off track when he says the we should not just consume consume consume and destroy destroy destroy. CO2 is your friend. Oxidizing millions of years worth of locked carbons in a very short time cannot have any effect on anything. Why should it? I mean, God has a plan. God’s plan involves us all acting like total ignoramuses and sticking our heads in the sand. Go commute in your Hummer, no really, it is the wisest choice you can make. Go make a snowman in Tokyo. Oh wait, there is no snow in Tokyo. That hasn’t happened in…forever. Go watch the hibernating bears in Russia. Damn, that didn’t happen either this year. Oh well. I guess it will take another Katrina that wipes out all of Texas to convince anyone there.
I guess I am just sick of people trying to think that they can just go ahead and not care about anything that doesn’t involve hurting the rest of us. And yes, the world is heating up. And yes, humans burning fossil fuels are causing it. Rock on.
Wake Up said,
james you’re right, except you go a little to far in your assumptions. And you might as well consume and destroy while your at it, cause the next ice age is coming in 600 years or so. And CO2 is your friend if your a farmer, your crops gorw better and faster. And why not while were at it, let’s just ignore history and forget the medevil warming period which allowed the vikings to grow crops in Greenland. All lies. And God, could the sun, in the most minute probibility, be responsible, our major source of energy? No way in hell right. Climate. Changes. There have been what 9 determined ice ages? How the fuck did those happen without humans? Figure that one out. No let your hair catch on fire.
Dan said,
I’m not a climatologist. Those who believe whole heartedly in Global Warming assure me that the denier scientists are not credible. Others strongly insist that the denier scientists have every bit as much credibility as anyone else. I don’t have sufficient expertise to judge between the claims. However, I think everyone can agree that a substantial number of climatologists, maybe even a majority, believe that humans are causing global warming and that the implications could be devastating. What if they win the argument and they were wrong? We build more efficient machines that produce less waste. We pollute less and have better air quality. There may be negative economic effects, but this is certainly a subject of as much debate and controversy as the other. In the end, we’re all very pleased they were wrong, but suppose they’re right and we do nothing. Well, we’ve been warned what the implications could be and they’re terrifying.
Also, I’ve been hard pressed to figure out what wealthy and powerful institutions would really benefit by making this problem up. It’s not very hard to see the ones who benefit by denying it.
Wake Up said,
Thats all very correct Dan, but its the truth thats important, why not find out the truth instead of going with one camp or another? And this is what the “deniers” are trying to do, not deny global warming, becasue it is occuring, but reveal that we are doing very little to acclerate it. That is the whole point. Yes we should change to less polluting practices, but what the these scientists are saying is that the economic cost of changing our infrastructure so quickly would be ineffectual. What they are advocating is a more gradual change, one that maximizes benefit for both enviroment and economy.
Alen said,
What is wrong with the last guy that wrote a coment. Look here- evolution is a theory and a Fact. it is a theory in some specise because we do not have evidence yet to see it. We have seen it in Bactiria, so it seems to be a fact. AS for the sun orbiting around the earth- well, that is true. How else would we be able to travle to mars, or the moon?
Alen said,
What is wrong with the First guy that wrote a coment. Look here- evolution is a theory and a Fact. it is a theory in some specise because we do not have evidence yet to see it. We have seen it in Bactiria, so it seems to be a fact. AS for the sun orbiting around the earth- well, that is true. How else would we be able to travle to mars, or the moon?
And, cool artical. Well writen.
frogs said,
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4499562022478442170
This is an alternative view from the BBC. The Great Global Warming Swindle. It gives another point of view on Global Warming, it doesn’t deny it’s happening but it does challenge an inconvenient truth.
Winehiker Witiculture » Thick with Thursday links said,
[...] An Inconvenient Truth Sparks Parents’ Anger, Bizarre Reactions Some people just prefer to live with blinders on. Newton’s Laws are probably bogus, too, according to the righteously indignant. (tags: al gore global warming climate change inconvenient truth parents ignorance reaction) [...]
larrydalooza said,
There is no scientific fact that CO2 in our ECOSYSTEM has a warming effect. Because the ecosystem is chocked full of mechanisms that coerce each other into a glorious stasis. Now… CO2 is good. It is the foundation of our lives. And the Earth is starved of it. Plants are moaning…. “more CO2… please… help us…”. Plant killers.