Blogs / Bad Astronomy

In other climate news, the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) — which represents tens of thousands of science teachers in the US — has apparently refused the gift of 50,000 DVDs of "An Inconvenient Truth" for its members (the linked article at the Washington Post was written by one of the producers of the film). I have not seen this movie (I plan to), but I know that environmental scientists seem to support it. Since I am not that particular flavor of scientist, I’m moved to listen to those who are. It seems odd to me that the NSTA would refuse the gift. From the WaPo article, NSTA said:

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.

Wow. I mean, really. Wow.

If they wanted to say that they didn’t want to participate in a political debate, I might find that acceptable, except that I get the NSTA newsletter, and they have political notes in it quite often. Also, according to this poster at the NSTA discussion board, they distribute educational videos produced by the oil industry.

Then there is this, also from the WaPo article:

NSTA’s list of corporate donors also includes Shell Oil and the American Petroleum Institute (API), which funds NSTA’s Web site on the science of energy. There, students can find a section called “Running on Oil” and read a page that touts the industry’s environmental track record — citing improvements mostly attributable to laws that the companies fought tooth and nail, by the way — but makes only vague references to spills or pollution. NSTA has distributed a video produced by API called “You Can’t Be Cool Without Fuel,” a shameless pitch for oil dependence.

I used to be a member of the NSTA but let my membership lapse due to my own laziness. However, I am now reconsidering ever renewing it. The NSTA does a huge amount of really good work, but if this is true it’s appalling. Avoiding angering a sponsor is understandable, but this would be standing in the way of open debate and in fact looks like they are swayed by the sponsor the other way. That, to me, does not sound like science at all.

Hopefully more information will air out about this soon. In general I support the NSTA’s mission, of course but these questions need to be answered.

Note: After writing this essay Sunday night, I saw that PZ Myers has similar thoughts. Also, Sara Robinson has some harsher words for the NSTA. And to do an end-run around any global warming deniers who will post in the comments, take a look at RealClimate.

Regular readers may be familiar with James Hansen, a climatologist who works for NASA. He has been tireless in advocating that we do something about global warming before it does something to us (if it isn’t already too late), and is an outspoken critic of the Bush administration which, to be honest and fair, is the most antiscientific administration ever seen in this country.

Hansen has written an article about his dealings with this increasingly antiscientific government. This is an interesting and infuriating article; I want to scream when I read things like this. Reuters has more on Hansen as well.

In the meantime, the Bush administration is being taken to court over global warming. This is also interesting, as the case rests on the details of the 1970 Clean Air Act and whether the EPA can regulate emission of carbon dioxide. An appeals court was split on the decision, so the Supreme Court is taking it up. I’ll be very curious to see how this turns out. While I think the Bush White House is guilty as sin on a long long list of antiscience endeavors, global warming is probably the least likely place they will budge, given how much money is behind denying the reality of it. But maybe with this court case, the climate will indeed change.

Coming up later today: Chilly Climate, Part II

Oops! I forgot to tip my sun-blocking straw garden hat to long time BABloggee and BA friend Cindy Taylor for sending me the link to Hansen’s article.