Berkeley High School is in the midst of a difficult debate over the elimination of science labs and five science teachers to shift resources to help struggling students. Some have objected that the science courses primarily help white students and should be reduced to add greater “equity” for struggling and minority students.
The school board insists that it is merely trying to spread resources to benefit the more students and to create a “less stressful” environment.
What is curious is that the school’s data page shows that the student body is roughly 37% white, so that it would not be surprising to see a large number of white students in any class. Moreover, Mardi Sincular-Mertens, who has taught science at BHS for 24 years, said that there are twelve African-American males in her AP classes and that her four environmental science classes are 17.5 percent African American and 13.9 percent Latino.
It seems to me that cutting such science classes is a bizarre response given the efforts to train our students for the 21st Century world. Other countries are putting far greater emphasis on math and science and we are already seeing the impact of this educational gap. The minority community in particular is at risk of being underprepresented in the science field — the most promising careers in the decade to come.
The story also reminds us of the continued reduction of educational programs and the sale of public buildings and parks as the government continues to burn through billions of dollars in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, here. I have personally heard of science and other programs being cut out in my area due to a lack of funding as billions simply evaporate abroad, including continued allegations of corruption.
For the full story, click here.
we have created twice as much H2O as CO2 from e.g. tailpipe emissions and the H2O is not the issue).
and exactly why is H20 not the issue. Is it because it naturally occurs or no way to cap it, or both.
And whose scientific facts am I ignoring, the ones you follow. They certainly aren’t the ones I do. I quess the science is not settled after all.
In other news,
French Revolution! Carbon tax ruled unconstitutional just two days before taking effect
This new French carbon tax was scheduled to go into law on Jan1, 2010. The tax was steep: 14 euros per ton of carbon dioxide (USD $20). In a stunning move, and surely a blow to warmists everywhere, the tax has been found unconstitutional and thrown out. Originally found here (Google Translation).
Lord Monckton was kind enough to assist me in deciphering the meaning of the ruling and writes:
In France, if at least 60 Deputies of the House and 60 Senators appeal to the Constitutional Council, it has the power to pronounce on the constitutionality of a proposed law – in the present case, the 2010 national budget of France, which contained enabling provisions (loi deferee) for a carbon levy. The Council found that these enabling provisions were unconstitutional on two grounds: that the exemptions contained within the provisions for a carbon levy vitiated the primary declared purpose of the levy, to combat carbon emissions and hence “global warming”; and that the exemptions would cause the levy to fall disproportionately on gasoline and heating oils and not on other carbon emissions, thereby breaching the principle that taxation should be evenly and fairly borne.
http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?hl=en&sl=fr&tl=en&u=http://www.conseil-constitutionnel.fr/conseil-constitutionnel/root/bank_mm/decisions/2009599dc/2009599dc_compresse.pdf&rurl=translate.google.com&twu=1&usg=ALkJrhhwSlACfVDKhKNW-llkchSQkCiXZQ
Only five days left to save the world.
Yea, I know, tell me that next week, because no matter where you live, it will be one of the clodest in many,many, years.
Bdaman,
To put it bluntly, you are full of crap. There is no nice way of stating it. You continue to ignore scientific facts and twist facts. Aren’t you the same expert that believes Orly Taitz and her Birther nonsense? Are you going to “bare arms” as she suggested recently?
Check it out, here’s a variable, the U.S. has a cold blast coming in the form of a huge low approaching the West Coast.
http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/goes/west/nepac/flash-wv.html
Been watchin it last 48, she’s just gettin ready to crank up. Alot of that H20 you talking bout is getting sucked up, right side center. This could be one to talk about. Depends on the Lat.
Still a little North and East of Hawaii but remember Mexico City is on the same Lat. as Hawaii. Across Mexico into the GOMEX next week could turn out to be a nasty winter storm for much of the U.S.
Temperatures in Northern Florida to dip into the twenties by Monday. If it picks up moisture on it’s way thru from the Gomex, watch out.
Here we go again with the nyaah nyaah look at my single data point nyaah! How do you think so much water vapor gets into the air to condense as snow or to form hurricanes? Does God put it there?
Hadn’t been a lot of world wide tropical cyclone activity last two years. According to Florida State University we are at a 30 year low, two years in a row. As far as singular events, Gore used Katrina as a see, I told you so event.
bdaman-
That’s a dishonest talking point about “only 5% of all greenhouse gases are CO2.” The other 95% is H2O which a) is not as potent of a greenhouse gas and b) condenses into the oceans as we release it (we have created twice as much H2O as CO2 from e.g. tailpipe emissions and the H2O is not the issue).
“By the way looks like the possibility of a record breaking snow event in Florida next week. Has it ever snowed in Miami? Inquiring minds want to know.”
Here we go again with the nyaah nyaah look at my single data point nyaah! How do you think so much water vapor gets into the air to condense as snow or to form hurricanes? Does God put it there?
“Just remember the more CO2 that is released into the atmosphere the warmer the planet will get.”
WRONG the temperatures become more variable.
As a public school science teacher, I live in fear of this day. NCLB only tests and evaluates schools on Math, Reading, and Writing. Therefore districts are only concerned with raising test scores in those areas. This is sad, but it is not a surprise to those of us in the classroom.
I only ask because I told a buddy of mine who sends them cash, that they stand to make alot of money like evryone else if cap and tax goes thru.
yea , I know. Google results nothing on Sierra Club. Just the regular B.S. Try it, I find it hard to believe not one negative story about them.
Bdaman:
I am looking into this further. I will let you know. They also have a Land Trust that I believe they control. I bet they have their contracts worded so they can use the land in a non-destructive way for the benefit of future generations, ie they can sell the carbon credits from the trees and use the proceeds to support their goals. Obviously nothing wrong with that but it does speak to a possible conflict of interest. Man the world is getting extremely hot, we need to take action now so our trees will be worth a shit pot full of money. Call me a cynic but money is money.
Keep in mind that this would be basically an annuity as trees remove carbon on a yearly basis. The amount of money would be phenomenal.
Timber companies and the Federal Government would make out like bandits as well. I have a suspicion that Cap and Trade is a done deal. The Chinese are probably shitting themselves at the prospect. But this is all made up shit, phunny money. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. There is going to be a good many fortunes made if this goes through. But this will be a government creation/fiction, no real tangible assets, no intrinsic worth.
And you and I will be the ones getting phucked in the end (quite literally).
ok so the huge tracks of land that they are buying will remain protected and because of which, they will be able to swap carbon credits for the land into cash.
Bdaman:
they have been buying huge tracts of land. they buy it with donations.
Is this because of all the land they own, educate me please.
Bdaman:
if carbon credits are viable they will literally make billions on timber land. And not by cutting them either.
Byron what was it you said about Sierra Club could profit from Global Warming.
Byron
1, December 29, 2009 at 12:25 pm
Bdaman:
I think you missed one:
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/12/24/anthropogenic_global_warming_is_a_farce.html
22 Byron
1, December 29, 2009 at 12:26 pm
Bdaman:
and also this one:
http://insciences.org/article.php?article_id=8012
C02 makes up less than 5% of all greenhouse gases.
Explain the Little Ice Age, the Medeival Warm Period. How bout Pliocene warm interval. How bout Greenland, how it was once Green and Fertile.
How bout The Maunder Minimum
Better yet explain this
Get to it then, troll.
Tell us all how releasing one of the most heat absorbent of all materials in nature, so heat absorbent that Edison used carbon for light bulb filaments, is not going to make the atmosphere retain more heat.
Come on, Mr. Bad Example.
Show us that scientific ignorance you possess in spades. Slarti, Bob and I need a good laugh.
Please. Continue to spew your nonsense
Yes Drill Sar-Gent
cause you told me to Drill Sar-Gent
I’d say you keep providing a perfect example of what happens when science isn’t an educational priority, bdatroll.
Please. Continue to spew your nonsense. It just proves the point that the Bereley School District is not being run by EDUCATORS, but by BABYSITTERS instead.