6 Comments so far

1. freedem March 3rd, 2007 8:12 am

   A homework assignment or classroom project should also be this http://www.latimes.com/news/local/oceans/la-oceans-series,0,7842752.special
   Possibly one of the best “web adapted” way of putting the story together, only the quality of the information keeps it from getting overwhelmed by the drama of the presentation.

2. rob.price March 3rd, 2007 2:24 pm

   Guardian Angels, School District Boards, and NSTA

   A better bet than finding a Angelic Sugar Daddy to front the 1000s of films the author suggests is needed for his strategy, is to first broach the subject of disseminating material at the school district level. According to NSTA, the reason the Al Gore documentary was not disseminated was because the film was produced by an outside source.

   In Federal Way, WA (Senator Murray’s(WA) backyard), the school district board effectively banned the showing of the film by creating an official decree, the film must be accompanied by further resources,

   Board members approved a policy stating that teachers who want to show the movie must ensure that a “credible, legitimate opposing view will be presented,” that they must get the OK of the principal and the superintendent, and that any teachers who have shown the film must now present an “opposing view.”

   The point is, the author and I could show up with a truckload of the two documentaries, but be turned down by school district’s that argue an opposing view is required. I believe Borowski’s message is well taken, a more scientifically detailed and educational film, such as Oil and Ice, is needed for purposes of meeting the teaching requirements. A teacher needs supplemental educational material to support a film like “Inconvenient Truth”. However, as mentioned above, school district’s like Federal Way may also require a faculty to produce opposing material.

   State and local levels are where schools operate, not the federal level. Federal level oversight is a thing of the past. Each State in the Union could have its own version of educational protocol. Kansas comes to mind when I imagine a variety of ways a district could rule over the teaching of science.

3. Rhite March 3rd, 2007 6:16 pm

   Mr. Borowski makes a very important contribution to the use of “Inconvenient Truth” in the classroom. “Oil on Ice” personalizes the message with specific stories of the already devastating effects actually told by REAL people in the Arctic region. Their food supply and their homes and their ability to travel from place to place are affected just like the polar bears’ food supply and homes and ability to travel. It’s a chance for kids to actually see and hear how people live today in very cold climates, what their homes are like and why it is necessary for them to travel (sometimes great distances) on ice. It also makes the connection with the devastating effects of oil exploration on their way of life the same as the effects on the way of life of the migrating land animals.

   It’s a shorter film that makes specific suggestions for things people like us in friendlier climates can do to slow down these changes that are happening.

   I think it would work especially well for younger children with shorter attention spans, children and adolescents who aren’t ready yet for the hard science of Al Gore’s film. But, at the same time, it is in no way just a “kid’s film.”

   Both films are beautifully made, taking different approaches to the same subject, and they carry the same overall message.

   So, yes, use them both at the high school level, starting with “Oil on Ice” and plenty of discussion time.

4. rtdrury March 4th, 2007 5:29 pm

   Before showing “Oil on Ice”, maybe teachers could assign students to research the possibility that with conservation via consumption tax and emissions penalties, and incentives for high-efficiency vehicles, fossil fuel for US transport may be entirely replaced with biodiesel utilizing a mere 5% of current farm/range land, turning transport carbon emissions into net carbon sequestration. With rail transport subsidies, a halt to road building, and telecommute incentives, that figure maybe reduced to 2% of farm/range land.

   Note: US farm/range land is about 1 billion acres, so 2% is 20 million acres. This figure may be reduced by a factor of four as oil production per acre is improved by cultivar selection. This must take place over time by replacing lesser yielding trees with clones of higher yielding trees. Promising species include Avocado, Jojoba, Walnut, and Oil Palm.

   Students may research a related possibility: The estimated 75% of current US farmland for animal feed may be cut by a factor of three by replacing most feed grain production with carob and other high yield tree species. This would result in massive net carbon sequestration and eliminate highly destructive synthetic inputs.

   The students may then research how such efficiency and resource gains may be directed to public rather than private benefit, i.e. better standards of living for all. Two options are mass letter-writing and rallies for legislative change, and individual market actions, i.e. mass general boycotts to block capitalist legislation, and targeted boycotts to prevent consolidation of energy/feed production.

5. bnpuhawixazo December 12th, 2007 3:53 pm

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6. bnwapekewoky January 1st, 2008 2:03 pm

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