This was written by Phil McKenna. It originally published at Inside Climate News:
In response to what it sees as increasing efforts to undermine the teaching of climate science, the nation’s largest science teachers association took the unusual step Thursday of issuing a formal position statement in support of climate science education.
In its position statement, the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) calls on science teachers from kindergarten through high school to emphasize to students that “no scientific controversy exists regarding the basic facts of climate change.”
“Given the solid scientific foundation on which climate change science rests, any controversies regarding climate change and human-caused contributions to climate change that are based on social, economic, or political arguments—rather than scientific arguments—should not be part of a science curriculum,” it says.
It also urges teachers to “reject pressures to eliminate or de-emphasize” climate science in their curriculum. And it urges school administrators to provide science teachers with professional development opportunities to strengthen their understanding of climate science.
“Now, more than ever, we really feel that educators need the support of a national organization, of their educational colleagues and their scientist colleagues, because they have encountered a lot of resistance,” David Evans, the executive director of NSTA, said.
“In climate science, as in other areas, we really emphasize the importance that students learn the science in science class, and if there are controversies or other issues to deal with, we want them to have a good solid foundation in evidence-based knowledge to carry out that conversation,” he said.
Judy Braus, executive director of the North American Association for Environmental Education, said her organization fully supports the NSTA position statement. “We feel that it’s important to address the misinformation that’s out there about climate” change, she said …