Better put away those combustibles, potables, and sharp objects again, sports fans, because a group of British parents in New Forest, England, are threatening legal action if soon-to-be-Dr. Al Gore’s schlockumentary "An Inconvenient Truth" is aired in their schools.
I kid you not.
As reported in Tuesday’s Telegraph (emphasis added throughout):
Parents who claim that an award-winning film on climate change is inaccurate and politically motivated are threatening a legal challenge over the Government's decision to send it to every secondary school.
How absolutely marvelous. Dontcha just love the British? The article deliciously continued:
The film by Al Gore, the former US vice-president, won an Oscar for the best documentary this year and Alan Johnson, the Education Secretary, says he wants teachers to use it to stimulate children into discussing climate change and global warming.
But a group of parents in the New Forest say the circulation of the film by the Government amounts to political indoctrination and is in breach of the Education Act 2002. Derek Tipp, their spokesman, has urged Mr Johnson to stop the film being sent out.
He said: "The film goes well beyond the consensus view and is not therefore suitable material to present to children who need to be given clear and balanced, factually accurate information."
I’m verklempt. Talk amongst yourselves.
*****Update: Compare and contrast how this British town is dealing with the global warming issue in its schools to how the Washington Post presented the need to educate children here as reported by Tim Graham Monday.
—Noel Sheppard is the Associate Editor of NewsBusters.
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I love it! Even the British k
April 17, 2007 - 18:50 ET byI love it! Even the British know that Al Gore and his 'documentary,' are both fakes... love it... And I love how Noel reports the news. Noel, you are a cool, no doubt... ...Debra
Ummm...could our schools and
April 17, 2007 - 19:04 ET by bigtimerUmmm...could our schools and parents please follow the Brits on this one.
I believe they did. I seem to
April 17, 2007 - 19:20 ET by taznarI believe they did. I seem to remember a very unhappy Al Gore (and his PR person?) when the NEA(?) refused to send his documentary out to all the elementary schools. My memory is fuzzy on the details (as you can tell) but I believe their reason was they too didn't want to be seen as endorsing a political view -plus they didn't want to spend their money to send it out. Again, if memory serves, they were willing to give Gore's people the mailing list, but they didn't want to take the responsibility (political or monetary) for sending it out.
Added in edit : I found it.
GW
April 17, 2007 - 20:54 ET by pbthinkerIt seems that the British, and the Canadians, are doing more talk that the U.S. is. The British put on a special about "The Global Warming Swindle" the Canadians have better websites about this hoax than we do. The thing that's great about this is it's a beginning. Sooner or later we might have another "British invasion" in the U.S. to help us debunk the "Goracle"
Never argue with an idiot. They'll drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.
Not many Americans are even
April 17, 2007 - 21:06 ET by MCPO AirdaleNot many Americans are even curious about what is being taught in their schools, let alone take the time to object.
rather ironic that i was dr
April 17, 2007 - 21:19 ET by AJrather ironic that i was drinking tea when i read this.
This may be a little off thre
April 17, 2007 - 22:03 ET by ahusserThis may be a little off thread but apropos. I received a forward from a friend with the following info. All the info has not been corroborated.
LOOK OVER THE DESCRIPTIONS OF THE FOLLOWING TWO HOUSES AND SEE IF YOU CAN TELL WHICH BELONGS TO AN ENVIRONMENTALIST.
HOUSE # 1:
A 20-room mansion (not including 8 bathrooms) heated by natural gas. Add on a pool (and a pool house) and a separate guest house all heated by gas. In ONE MONTH ALONE this mansion consumes more energy than the average American household in an ENTIRE YEAR. The average bill for electricity and natural gas runs over $2, 400.00 per month. In natural gas alone (which last time we checked was a fossil fuel), this property consumes more than 20 times the national average for an American home. This house is not in a northern or Midwestern "snow belt," either. It's in the South.
HOUSE # 2:
Designed by an architecture professor at a leading national university, this house incorporates every "green" feature current home construction can provide. The house contains only 4,000 square feet (4 bedrooms) and is nestled on arid high prairie in the American southwest. A central closet in the house holds geothermal heat pumps drawing ground water through pipes sunk 300 feet into the ground. The water (usually 67 degrees F.) heats the house in winter and cools it in summer. The system uses no fossil fuels such as oil or natural gas, and it consumes 25% of the electricity required for a conventional heating/cooling system. Rainwater from the roof is collected and funneled into a 25,000 gallon underground cistern. Wastewater from showers, sinks and toilets goes into underground purifying tanks and then into the cistern. The collected water then irrigates the land surrounding the house. Flowers and shrubs native to the area blend the property into the surrounding rural landscape.
HOUSE # 1 (20 room energy guzzling mansion) is outside of Nashville,Tennessee. It is the abode of that renowned environmentalist (and filmmaker) Al Gore.
HOUSE # 2 (model eco-friendly house) is on a ranch near Crawford, Texas. Also known as "the Texas White House," it is the private residence of the President of the United States, George W. Bush
The irony. The occupant of ho
April 17, 2007 - 23:07 ET by danboThe irony. The occupant of house # 1, using more carbon fuel in a month than the average american uses in a year. Has decided it is his right and responsability to lecture the world in their carbon fuel usage.
The occupant of house #2 with geo thermal heating and cooling. Feels it should be our decision.
"The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule.” H.L. Mencken
Bravo to those Brits! Glad
April 18, 2007 - 02:43 ET by radiofitz34Bravo to those Brits! Glad to see common sense ain't dead yet.
By the way, Al Gore must be eating his carbon offsets. Along with almost everything else that doesn't move.
There may be hope for the o
April 18, 2007 - 07:40 ET by Dave RThere may be hope for the once great UK after all.
This republic will not survive the
continued neglect of its people.-
Neal Boortz.
Inconvient Truth in British Schools
April 18, 2007 - 14:12 ET by Mike From CanmoreAs an educator, I completely disagree with banning it from schools. In fact I'm thinking about setting up some college courses completely based on the film. Some of the course titles I'm mulling over: "How to Lie With Statistics", "Utilizing Communications to Overcome Fact", or finally, "Utilizaing Fear and Ignorance to Sell Anything".
BTW, the British Columbia Gov't is putting it in all the schools. Not sure if it is just High School or Junior Grades too.
On a serious note, I am an educator and my job is not to teach students to think like I think. It is to teach them to weed out the rubbish and rationalize their own conclusions. I firmly believe many high school teachers in both the US and Canada neglect that. I see the consquences in College students. Bringing the film into high school may not necessarily be a bad thing, if utilized to get the students to dig deeper and develop critical thinking skills. However, not much of a challenge with the Gore schlop and and I'm afraid, would rare be utilized in such a manner.
MFC,Many young minds will b
April 18, 2007 - 21:53 ET by bigtimerMFC,
Many young minds will be lucky to get you as their teacher.
Unfair!
April 18, 2007 - 21:46 ET by MilesDSchoolchildren in the US are treated to this docudrama, and often for free! Why should the English be spared the agony sitting through this. For many teachers of grammar school children, this is all the science they know! Besides, polar bears demand more sympathy. Children everywhere need to know how their rapacious greed is killing polar bears.
I so hope the English never produce an Albert Gore. The man has had no equal since Caligula I