Science Teachers Association Rejects Free DVD's

The producers of 'An Inconvenient Truth' wanted to hand out 50,000 copies to science teachers. When they approached the NSTA (National Science Teachers Association) they were turned down. They cited 'special interest' as one reason for the denial. In other words this might set precedence for others to follow. They also mentioned they don't do 'political endorsements.' In any event the 50,000 copies lie idle in a warehouse.



The producers of ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ wanted to hand out 50,000 copies to science teachers. When they approached the NSTA (National Science Teachers Association) they were turned down. They cited ‘special interest’ as one reason for the denial. In other words this might set precedence for others to follow. They also mentioned they don’t do ‘political endorsements.’ In any event the 50,000 copies lie idle in a warehouse.



Actually Exxon Mobile has donated millions of dollars to NSTA and they are afraid their supply would be cut off if they accepted the DVD’s. This is, a not so subtle, example of how big business is shaping what American’s will see. They are entering a gap left by state and federal governments as they reduce funding.

Certainly these kids could see this film elsewhere or a teacher could purchase it to show but many who would have seen it had the DVD’s been accepted will not see it now.

This all comes at a time when oil companies are under close scrutiny for price gouging, theft of royalties, and greenhouse gas emissions. Are they grooming the next generation of consumers? Are they just attempting to stave off the inevitable uproar over decreasing oil supplies?


As James Kunsler puts it in his book, The Long Emergency,

I do not believe that the general ignorance about the coming catastrophic end of the cheap-oil era is the product of a conspiracy, either by government or news media. Mostly it is a matter of cultural inertia, aggravated by collective delusion, nursed in the growth medium of comfort and complacency. AKA “consensus trance”

And so it goes our trance continues.


Related News Links:
www.businessweek.com
www.nytimes.com

[edit on 12/6/2006 by Gools]

This is disturbing evidence of the penetration of corporate influence into the school system. Scary stuff indeed. But then, the school system is there to turn out obedient workers rather than people who can think for themselves.

!edited because apparently I can't spell "school"!)

[edit on 6-12-2006 by rich23]

Actually Exxon Mobile has donated millions of dollars to NSTA and they are afraid their supply would be cut off if they accepted the DVD’s

Thats quite the charge, that the oil companies have control of the science teachers.

If the science teachers are lying.....who's telling the truth then eh???


They should reject "An inconvient truth' because its a propaganda film. THe film was NOT created as a scientific document, it was created specifically to spread the word about global warming, and organize/inspire the public to take political action. Global Warming is occuring, most evidence points to it being man-made, and the science alone is what the science teachers should be teaching and promoting.

I would like to point out that NSTA is run by a hierarchy who do not ask the rank and file teachers what they want. They play politics and do not even have to have been a teacher. They have done lots of stupid things in their history IMO. I do think that most biology teachers would love to have a free copy, most of them are aware of the impact on our planet of technology.

My retired biology teacher husband says absolutely 100% of the teachers at his old school would love to have a copy to show their students.

Don't blame the teachers, they have no power or autonomy any more, and administrative types don't give a hoot about what teachers need in order to teach well, and between school boards and administrators, they have pretty much gutted education.

Good find, thanks for posting. I'm going to see if I can locate someone who would be willing to donate these copies to individual teachers. Anyone have a contact for this?

I usually disagree with Nygdan but this time hes right. There is no reason this film should be shown in school.

I do think that it is suspect of big oil companies to be giving that amount of money, but only because I know they aren't doing it out of the good of their hearts.

You're preaching to the choir. I am a teacher. My concern was that large corporations have access to our kids but other groups are not getting that same access. Should they both have access or neither? There‘s quite a large consensus among scientists that their is in fact a phenomenon known as global warming. But if only things that were known beyond a shadow of a doubt were taught in school teachers would be out of a job. Do you know for a fact there is a God? Do you know for a fact how man originated? Everything is a theory and people are dying to find out the truth.

Originally posted by Nygdan

Actually Exxon Mobile has donated millions of dollars to NSTA and they are afraid their supply would be cut off if they accepted the DVD’s

Thats quite the charge, that the oil companies have control of the science teachers.

If the science teachers are lying.....who's telling the truth then eh???


They should reject "An inconvient truth' because its a propaganda film. THe film was NOT created as a scientific document, it was created specifically to spread the word about global warming, and organize/inspire the public to take political action. Global Warming is occuring, most evidence points to it being man-made, and the science alone is what the science teachers should be teaching and promoting.

Nygdan, it's not saying that the teachers are getting the money, it's saying that the NSTA is. Want to guess who in that group gets the money? The adminisstration of NSTA, who are not teachers.

Al Gore did his research and got his information from scientists. You may think it's propaganda, but hey, someone needed to make a film that would shock and awaken the world to the reality of global warming. My retired biologist husband saw the film and was extremely impressed with not only the film, but the information contained in it. So it would seem that the science is correct, it's not just a bunch of propaganda.