My son just came home with his Christmas list that he had compiled at school. Number one on his list was "an eco-friendly solar powered remote controlled car." Without thinking, I about bit his head off, saying, "Global warming is still an untested theory. Many people are jumping on this bandwagon because it is a popular thing among famous people and people who want to make an name for themselves. Don't go asking for a toy that you don't understand the junk science behind it."
He looked at me with these huge confused eyes and said, "Oh. I'm sorry we just talk about saving the environment at school and so I thought I should ask for something good like that." So, then I had to calm down, remember he is only nine and explain that it is good to protect and preserve the things in our sphere of influence including the planet. I also said, "I keep our house clean to maintain it at the best possible level so it will last a long time, we eat healthy to make our bodies work well, so they will last a long time too. So it is good to take care of the planet to make it last a long time too. And what you asked for is a good thing but Mom is sad that some people teach things as FACT when really right now, no one knows for sure if we can influence the earth's climate change that much."
He seemed more confused than ever. Can't we leave eco-friendly and green beliefs out of schools? It is like a religion for many people and currently, they aren't even allowed to say the name God in the classroom but they can cram Eco-friendly, junk science down their throats.
7 comments:
ha ha janice, you KILL me!!! there was an article in the wall street journal about this about a year ago - kids were coming home from school totally feeling guilty about their carbon footprints and demanding their parents go to extremes to conserve energy, etc. i'll have to find it for you - it was eye-opening.
I so agree! Can I just add that my daughter came home from school wondering why we celebrate Columbus day when he was such a bad person. I flipped out too!
Ah Janice, that's why we homeschool! Ok, so really that's not why we're homeschooling but in this arena I guess I can have a pretty big influence on my kids and their political thoughts and my agendas.
Hmmm, I guess I feel pretty much the opposite. At least they are making kids aware of issues that many parents totally disregard. Looks like happy valley has scrubbed off your Boulder upbringing!
Ok. I am removing the ability for anonymous comments from this blog. If you are not strong enough to leave your name than you don't stand strong enough behind your own beliefs.
And, my brother is one of the top minds in environmental air quality knowledge in the country, so I am no idiot when it comes to know about environmental issues and what is true and what is bad science.
And, being raised in Boulder, CO doesn't automatically make me a believer in pop culture causes.
I hear ya' Janice. when Ash turns 16 and starts asking us for one of those new solar or fuel cell cars they're working on, I'm going to have to put my foot down. unless it blows black smoke, no one under my roof is getting one.
also wondering what you've got against O'Reilly and Liddy, why those guys didn't make the list.
I don't like it when they scare the kids, or teach it as absolute truth, but I do think it's good to make them aware of small actions they can take help. I am an avid recycler because of the Earth Days we had when I was in school.
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