Calay News
Texas, experiencing its second-hottest summer on record, faces controversy as science textbooks discussing the human impact on the environment and climate change are rejected by the state’s Board of Education. The rejection aligns with Republican-dominated efforts to curb the circulation of educational materials deemed too “unilateral” about the effects of climate change.
Many rejected textbooks conveyed that “humans have a negative impact on the environment. And the fear tactics that come with that are my main issue,” stated Evelyn Brooks, a Republican board member, who, against scientific consensus, claimed that “science is not completely decided on global warming.”
The decentralized US education system gives individual states control over the curriculum, leading to heated battles nationwide over how to teach topics like climate change, racism, and sexuality. Texas, producing 42% of the country’s crude oil, allows officials like Brooks to resist the “political ideology” of climate change, which she deems “an outright lie.”
Textbooks from Green Ninja were among those rejected by the Texas Board of Education for their inclusion of climate change. Some were eventually accepted after revisions, reflecting the polarization surrounding climate change education. Critics worry that students may fail to grasp the broader picture as summers become hotter due to climate change.
While rejected textbooks are not necessarily banned from classrooms, the use of approved texts is often linked to government funding. As the summer heat intensifies, experts fear that students may miss the bigger picture, perpetuating the problem if they don’t understand the consequences of climate change.
