Since we currently are only guessing as to the cause of this climate change, it would be reckless to begin teaching our children as a presentation of facts. Does anyone remember the foot x-ray, where you can check how well your shoe fits visually, while you're wearing it? Great idea, except it increased the likelihood of cancer by 75% in the salesmen who operated it.

I agree UnDave. Lets not "teach" our kids what is akin to estimations on the part of scientists.

*guestimations....rather

I can understand this since there still isn't one source or school of thought that people agree on. I don't think that science classes should be made to avoid the subject, though.

I don't necessarily think the subject should be avoided, but I don't think it should be mandated that its included in all textbooks, either. To me, since what we know about climate change is changing every day, it seems like a subject that's more suited to a supplement.

I also don't think it should be mandatory to "teach" climate change. I do hope many science teachers bring it up as a topic of discussion in their classes, however: if nothing else, climate change, properly taught, would help teach kids to sort out views and evidence from opposing sides and have lively debates. Like the ones that happen here whenever there's a climate change post

I don't think teaching about climate change is likely to cause foot cancer. But that is just me.

Anyway, I don't think it should be mandatory.

I do think it would be a great topic to discuss though. I think we need to study more problems in science classes that haven't been fully "proven" yet. That inspires people to figure stuff out.

I agree with the Gov. decision not to mandate the issue simply because I think it's unnecessary when the topic is so tied into environmental studies that the topic is unavoidable. When I was in school years before this became a for front issue global warming was part of many issues discussed in such a class.

If individual school boards want to purchase texts mainly devoted to global warming issues that is certainly their prerogative the Gov. refusal to mandate does not take away their right to do it if they want to.

I agree that teaching about climate change not causing foot cancer. My point is we aren't sure why the earth's climate is changing, and it doesn't make any sense to teach something as fact, when we aren't sure of that factualness. That's all I was trying to say.

This would be a great debate class discussion though.