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Columbia Global Reports
Miseducation: How Climate Change Is Taught in America
Investigative reporter Katie Worth reviewed scores of textbooks, built a 50-state database, and traveled to a dozen communities to talk to children and teachers about what is being taught, and found a red-blue divide in climate education. More than one-third of young adults believe that climate change is not man-made, and science instructors are being contradicted by history teachers who tell children not to worry about it.
Who has tried to influence what children learn, and how successful have they been? Worth connects the dots on oil corporations, state legislatures, school boards, libertarian thinktanks, conservative lobbyists, and textbook publishers, all of whom have learned from the fight over evolution and tobacco, and are now sowing uncertainty, confusion, and distrust about climate science, with the result that four in five Americans today don’t think there is a scientific consensus on global warming. In the words of a top climate educator, “We are the only country in the world that has had a multi-decade, multi-billion dollar deny-delay-confuse campaign.” Miseducation is the alarming story of how climate denialism was implanted in millions of school children.
Who has tried to influence what children learn, and how successful have they been? Worth connects the dots on oil corporations, state legislatures, school boards, libertarian thinktanks, conservative lobbyists, and textbook publishers, all of whom have learned from the fight over evolution and tobacco, and are now sowing uncertainty, confusion, and distrust about climate science, with the result that four in five Americans today don’t think there is a scientific consensus on global warming. In the words of a top climate educator, “We are the only country in the world that has had a multi-decade, multi-billion dollar deny-delay-confuse campaign.” Miseducation is the alarming story of how climate denialism was implanted in millions of school children.
184 pages, Paperback
First published November 16, 2021
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September 25, 2021
A disturbing, straightforward study of the topic of climate change in the US education system.
Katie Worth, a fact-digging reporter, presents an illuminating exploration of the ways climate change in US education is influenced by big money, school and state boards, political confrontations and corporational giants. The author traces changes in the textbooks and curriculums from the first time the question appeared in the public informational space till 2021 to highlight an alarming fact: modern children still do not consider climate change a part of their inevitable future. The main problem of incorporating climate change into the textbooks becomes evident from the start. Due to the abundance of controversial information in the news, in the materials sent down to schools, in the laws that differ from state to state, teachers and educators can't agree on whether climate change is a hoax or our reality, is it human-caused or a part of the natural cycle. As a result, some teachers do not mention climate change entirely; some talk about it indecisively, making it a topic for discussion. Only a tiny percent stays firm on their beliefs, be it denial or acceptance. The disruption campaign, disseminating doubts about climate change, isn't limited to schools and universities. It penetrates mass media and, in recent years, has received approval from the highest echelons of power.
All and all, 'Miseducation: How Climate Change is Taught in America' is fine research into two fields at once: climate change and education.
The author's writing contains elements of academic, popular science, and fiction styles. Though the book is engaging and easy to understand, the mixing didn't work well for me personally. Occasional vivid descriptions of nature and interviewees intertwine with statistical data from surveys on the subject. In some parts of the text, the author's lyrical mood highly affects the generally neutral material.
The positive influences of big money, new laws, oil companies, etc., on education are briefly mentioned but not explored in great detail. The author adamantly sticks to one idea - we are in a dire position. The text calls for arms rather than proposes a peaceful, legally framed resolution of the conflict.
I'd recommend the book to readers interested in the past and present of climate change.
I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Katie Worth, a fact-digging reporter, presents an illuminating exploration of the ways climate change in US education is influenced by big money, school and state boards, political confrontations and corporational giants. The author traces changes in the textbooks and curriculums from the first time the question appeared in the public informational space till 2021 to highlight an alarming fact: modern children still do not consider climate change a part of their inevitable future. The main problem of incorporating climate change into the textbooks becomes evident from the start. Due to the abundance of controversial information in the news, in the materials sent down to schools, in the laws that differ from state to state, teachers and educators can't agree on whether climate change is a hoax or our reality, is it human-caused or a part of the natural cycle. As a result, some teachers do not mention climate change entirely; some talk about it indecisively, making it a topic for discussion. Only a tiny percent stays firm on their beliefs, be it denial or acceptance. The disruption campaign, disseminating doubts about climate change, isn't limited to schools and universities. It penetrates mass media and, in recent years, has received approval from the highest echelons of power.
All and all, 'Miseducation: How Climate Change is Taught in America' is fine research into two fields at once: climate change and education.
The author's writing contains elements of academic, popular science, and fiction styles. Though the book is engaging and easy to understand, the mixing didn't work well for me personally. Occasional vivid descriptions of nature and interviewees intertwine with statistical data from surveys on the subject. In some parts of the text, the author's lyrical mood highly affects the generally neutral material.
The positive influences of big money, new laws, oil companies, etc., on education are briefly mentioned but not explored in great detail. The author adamantly sticks to one idea - we are in a dire position. The text calls for arms rather than proposes a peaceful, legally framed resolution of the conflict.
I'd recommend the book to readers interested in the past and present of climate change.
I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 29, 2021
The game comes straight from Big Tobacco. Only this time, it’s all about climate change. Katie Worth sums up the gigantic effort by Big Oil to sow doubt over all the science between teachers and students, and parents and their children in Miseducation. Teachers, schools, school boards, education departments and legislatures have all knuckled under to the unending torrent of lies, misinformation, misdirection and sheer weight of bogus stories meant to cast doubt on what everyone’s lying eyes tell them. Sadly, it’s a proven strategy. Americans are no longer big believers in climate science.
Worth had a very straightforward plan. She visited middle schools in places as different as California and Oklahoma, Hawaii and the Marshall Islands. She talked to teachers and students, then up the chain to textbook authors, publishers and school board members who specify and order them. She learned from propagandists, CEOs, “non-profits” funded by industry, and consumer non-profits, compromised by them. It all adds up to a giant big bang of noise with almost no signal, of conflicting claims so varied and bizarre as to be unwieldy, and confusion, masses of it, for American students. And that was the idea all along.
In Oklahoma, she investigated the large Marshall Islander community. These people came to Oklahoma to escape the ravages of surging seas on their collection of flat islands. They know it has no future. Even their government says so. They are essentially climate refugees, ensconced now in Oklahoma, where climate change is a most unwelcome subject, ignored, denied and often banned.
In America, school textbooks that even mention climate are designed to encourage discussion, not to educate. Unlike cell theory or the theory of gravity, climate theory is fair game for even the most ignorant. Everyone qualifies to criticize it or ignore it totally. So in place of learning, children are told there are two sides to climate science, and they have to decide for themselves which one is true. The textbooks are not only no help, they are beyond useless. They are damaging.
The publishers say they’re just following orders, trying to sell books to school systems. If they want lies about climate change, they get them. If they want no mention whatsoever, it’s no problem.
Worth says “About a third (of teachers) said they emphasized to students that ‘many scientists believe’ global warming might be natural – an erroneous statement. And fully two thirds encouraged students to debate whether global warming has been caused by humans or nature.” And “Surveys have found that a majority of teachers falsely believe scientists still disagree about the cause, which would explain why they teach that.” So “It is safe to say that across the country, intrepid teachers rigorously educate their students about climate science. It’s also safe to say that commonly, a teacher down the hall is miseducating them about it.” All the stats she cites show that teachers have fallen for the Big Oil/Big Tobacco strategy – hook, line and sinker.
Worse, possibly, there are plenty of places where ecology or climate science cannot be taught at all, correctly or incorrectly. And with climate now affecting everything in society, from economics to agriculture to transport to species extinctions and lifeform migrations, this complete lack means American students are totally unprepared for employment in 21st century America. The country is raising generations of people totally incapable of understanding their own futures or how employers are having to cope.
But a lot of this is to be expected in a country where evolution is still a debatable theory. Julie Angle, of Oklahoma State University, is a member of the 59-strong educators committee to update learning standards. She says “I don’t think Oklahoma was ready for the e-word. We have legislators who believe that evolution has not, is not and will never occur in the state of Oklahoma.” And there is glorious history behind this: in 1925, “Governor Miriam ‘Ma’ Ferguson of Texas ordered the Texas State Textbook Commission to strip evolution from the state’s new science textbooks: ‘I’m a Christian mother who believes Jesus died to save humanity and I’m not going to let that kind of rot go into Texas textbooks.’” Similarly, climate science might be just an elective, or not offered at all. It might only appear as a paragraph or a page somewhere. And when it does, it will make no claims to being a serious issue worth anyone’s time or attention.
Nor does it help that recent generations, having absorbed the indoctrination themselves, now instruct their children that climate change is a hoax. Students are forever confronting their science teachers with this parental wisdom.
It also didn’t help that the Trump administration directed the Environmental Protection Agency to remove all mentions of climate from its own website. Any use of the word in a piece of legislation meant it was automatically dead on arrival. This despite the fact that more scientists agree on climate theory than agree on a spherical Earth.
Worth cites the American Petroleum Institute, representing major and minor players in the fossil fuels sector, which has been on the case for decades. Its goal has always been to sow doubt, just like Big Tobacco did for decades. In the meantime, their members can make billions in profits. Decades ago, it circulated a memo: “The memo laid out plans to target school teachers and students, so as to ‘begin to erect a barrier against further efforts to impose –Kyoto-like measures in the future.’”
A lot of the confusion comes from the Heartland Institute, Worth says. Heartland funds books, teaching aids, teacher training, and provides videos for use in class. It mass mails its propaganda to teachers. (It also still argues the link between cigarette-smoking and cancer is exaggerated.) Groups like this and the American Petroleum Institute have programs such as the one offering $10,000 to the authors of any anti-climate change papers that get published, regardless of the content. Just keep it coming.
In the ever-evolving science of education, educators say kids don’t want 90% problem and 10% solution like the climate science they are taught; they want 20% problem and 80% solution. They’re there to learn. The insanely mixed messages they get about climate change are depressing and frustrating to them, keeping them off balance. This is precisely the goal of the companies and the climate deniers. Keep everyone in the USA off balance. In a lot of ways, they have already won.
Not everything in the book is pure truth. For example, Worth says “Because the federal government leaves it up to the states to run schools…” But the federal government doesn’t “leave” anything to the states. It hasn’t abandoned its duty. States provide education, and anything the feds do is considered unconstitutional interference – unless it’s handing out great dollops of dollars. It would take a constitutional amendment to change that. So like anything else, weigh what is written. Nonetheless, Worth is thorough, hard-hitting and effective in covering the subject in far more angles than readers could normally hope for.
Miseducation is another in the truly excellent series of Global Reports from Columbia University. These books are tight, jampacked summaries of issues by hard-digging journalists that lay out the extent of an issue and how it is being dealt with. Every one of them seems better than the last, and I have yet to find one that could be classed as weak rather than powerful.
David Wineberg
Worth had a very straightforward plan. She visited middle schools in places as different as California and Oklahoma, Hawaii and the Marshall Islands. She talked to teachers and students, then up the chain to textbook authors, publishers and school board members who specify and order them. She learned from propagandists, CEOs, “non-profits” funded by industry, and consumer non-profits, compromised by them. It all adds up to a giant big bang of noise with almost no signal, of conflicting claims so varied and bizarre as to be unwieldy, and confusion, masses of it, for American students. And that was the idea all along.
In Oklahoma, she investigated the large Marshall Islander community. These people came to Oklahoma to escape the ravages of surging seas on their collection of flat islands. They know it has no future. Even their government says so. They are essentially climate refugees, ensconced now in Oklahoma, where climate change is a most unwelcome subject, ignored, denied and often banned.
In America, school textbooks that even mention climate are designed to encourage discussion, not to educate. Unlike cell theory or the theory of gravity, climate theory is fair game for even the most ignorant. Everyone qualifies to criticize it or ignore it totally. So in place of learning, children are told there are two sides to climate science, and they have to decide for themselves which one is true. The textbooks are not only no help, they are beyond useless. They are damaging.
The publishers say they’re just following orders, trying to sell books to school systems. If they want lies about climate change, they get them. If they want no mention whatsoever, it’s no problem.
Worth says “About a third (of teachers) said they emphasized to students that ‘many scientists believe’ global warming might be natural – an erroneous statement. And fully two thirds encouraged students to debate whether global warming has been caused by humans or nature.” And “Surveys have found that a majority of teachers falsely believe scientists still disagree about the cause, which would explain why they teach that.” So “It is safe to say that across the country, intrepid teachers rigorously educate their students about climate science. It’s also safe to say that commonly, a teacher down the hall is miseducating them about it.” All the stats she cites show that teachers have fallen for the Big Oil/Big Tobacco strategy – hook, line and sinker.
Worse, possibly, there are plenty of places where ecology or climate science cannot be taught at all, correctly or incorrectly. And with climate now affecting everything in society, from economics to agriculture to transport to species extinctions and lifeform migrations, this complete lack means American students are totally unprepared for employment in 21st century America. The country is raising generations of people totally incapable of understanding their own futures or how employers are having to cope.
But a lot of this is to be expected in a country where evolution is still a debatable theory. Julie Angle, of Oklahoma State University, is a member of the 59-strong educators committee to update learning standards. She says “I don’t think Oklahoma was ready for the e-word. We have legislators who believe that evolution has not, is not and will never occur in the state of Oklahoma.” And there is glorious history behind this: in 1925, “Governor Miriam ‘Ma’ Ferguson of Texas ordered the Texas State Textbook Commission to strip evolution from the state’s new science textbooks: ‘I’m a Christian mother who believes Jesus died to save humanity and I’m not going to let that kind of rot go into Texas textbooks.’” Similarly, climate science might be just an elective, or not offered at all. It might only appear as a paragraph or a page somewhere. And when it does, it will make no claims to being a serious issue worth anyone’s time or attention.
Nor does it help that recent generations, having absorbed the indoctrination themselves, now instruct their children that climate change is a hoax. Students are forever confronting their science teachers with this parental wisdom.
It also didn’t help that the Trump administration directed the Environmental Protection Agency to remove all mentions of climate from its own website. Any use of the word in a piece of legislation meant it was automatically dead on arrival. This despite the fact that more scientists agree on climate theory than agree on a spherical Earth.
Worth cites the American Petroleum Institute, representing major and minor players in the fossil fuels sector, which has been on the case for decades. Its goal has always been to sow doubt, just like Big Tobacco did for decades. In the meantime, their members can make billions in profits. Decades ago, it circulated a memo: “The memo laid out plans to target school teachers and students, so as to ‘begin to erect a barrier against further efforts to impose –Kyoto-like measures in the future.’”
A lot of the confusion comes from the Heartland Institute, Worth says. Heartland funds books, teaching aids, teacher training, and provides videos for use in class. It mass mails its propaganda to teachers. (It also still argues the link between cigarette-smoking and cancer is exaggerated.) Groups like this and the American Petroleum Institute have programs such as the one offering $10,000 to the authors of any anti-climate change papers that get published, regardless of the content. Just keep it coming.
In the ever-evolving science of education, educators say kids don’t want 90% problem and 10% solution like the climate science they are taught; they want 20% problem and 80% solution. They’re there to learn. The insanely mixed messages they get about climate change are depressing and frustrating to them, keeping them off balance. This is precisely the goal of the companies and the climate deniers. Keep everyone in the USA off balance. In a lot of ways, they have already won.
Not everything in the book is pure truth. For example, Worth says “Because the federal government leaves it up to the states to run schools…” But the federal government doesn’t “leave” anything to the states. It hasn’t abandoned its duty. States provide education, and anything the feds do is considered unconstitutional interference – unless it’s handing out great dollops of dollars. It would take a constitutional amendment to change that. So like anything else, weigh what is written. Nonetheless, Worth is thorough, hard-hitting and effective in covering the subject in far more angles than readers could normally hope for.
Miseducation is another in the truly excellent series of Global Reports from Columbia University. These books are tight, jampacked summaries of issues by hard-digging journalists that lay out the extent of an issue and how it is being dealt with. Every one of them seems better than the last, and I have yet to find one that could be classed as weak rather than powerful.
David Wineberg
August 21, 2021
As a teacher myself, I was curious to see what this book would say from an outsider's perspective about climate education in America today. Much of what Worth writes about resonated with my, and frankly didn't surprise me at all. She talks to a lot of people and explores different avenues, from individual biases to structural obstacles like standards. It's not an easy fix, but knowing what the problems are is essential.
I often think the best teachers are those who are passionate about their content, learning more and keeping up on the latest research. Worth's argument bolsters this thinking. If we had more teachers who actively kept up with true, relevant, scientific research, and then taught science as a process rather than rote memorization, perhaps we would not only make progress in climate education but in education as a whole. We should want teachers who model good thinking within their content, and that seems to be what she's implying in these pages. After all, honestly, standards are merely statements on paper. At the end of the day, a teacher will spin them however he/she wants and will teach them the way that he/she wants (unless there's some strong oversight system in place). Better standards are not the answer- better teachers are.
I think this book gives a lot of insight for obviously the science community and science education community but I also think it's a great book to consider in teacher prep programs and professional development. Yes, it is about climate change and research, but it is a great reflection about education and how we can improve it to meet the needs of our students.
I often think the best teachers are those who are passionate about their content, learning more and keeping up on the latest research. Worth's argument bolsters this thinking. If we had more teachers who actively kept up with true, relevant, scientific research, and then taught science as a process rather than rote memorization, perhaps we would not only make progress in climate education but in education as a whole. We should want teachers who model good thinking within their content, and that seems to be what she's implying in these pages. After all, honestly, standards are merely statements on paper. At the end of the day, a teacher will spin them however he/she wants and will teach them the way that he/she wants (unless there's some strong oversight system in place). Better standards are not the answer- better teachers are.
I think this book gives a lot of insight for obviously the science community and science education community but I also think it's a great book to consider in teacher prep programs and professional development. Yes, it is about climate change and research, but it is a great reflection about education and how we can improve it to meet the needs of our students.
September 20, 2021
The idea that the science is debatable didn't occur naturally, but rather was 'implanted and sustained'...
Miseducation sticks to its scope and succinctly illustrates the problem with climate education in the US. Katie Worth is not afraid to hold those responsible for the misinformation accountable. Her in-depth investigation is as captivating as it is horrifying. Far from being speculative or alarmist, the author discusses documented misinformation campaigns and interviews educators, students, policymakers and industry professionals to give a comprehensive idea of what's really going on in schools.
**I received an advanced digital copy of this book through Edelweiss.
August 20, 2021
What is the purpose of education? In an ideal world, education would furnish youth with the knowledge and skills they need in the future. Given that climate change is the looming existential threat for the entire planet, preparing our youth for the future would entail teaching them about the short- and long-term effects of climate change and the actions that might prevent the worst.
But this is not an ideal world.
I've been part of a grassroots nonprofit that teaches climate change at schools, and I was familiar with everything in this book. However, if you don't think/talk about climate change and the livability of our planet regularly, you'll learn a great deal from this book. Worth has an engaging writing style, and her extensive research about science and climate education, as well as her numerous interviews with students, teachers, textbook writers and editors, industry professionals, and scientific experts, make this book an excellent source. Honestly, I couldn't put this book down.
Miseducation is a perfect read for anybody concerned about climate change and the forces that influence or shape curricula and textbooks. It is also for people who'd like to understand the current state of K-12 education.
-ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review-
But this is not an ideal world.
I've been part of a grassroots nonprofit that teaches climate change at schools, and I was familiar with everything in this book. However, if you don't think/talk about climate change and the livability of our planet regularly, you'll learn a great deal from this book. Worth has an engaging writing style, and her extensive research about science and climate education, as well as her numerous interviews with students, teachers, textbook writers and editors, industry professionals, and scientific experts, make this book an excellent source. Honestly, I couldn't put this book down.
Miseducation is a perfect read for anybody concerned about climate change and the forces that influence or shape curricula and textbooks. It is also for people who'd like to understand the current state of K-12 education.
-ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review-
August 16, 2021
Don´t trust everything you read - ever heard that? Or another version - don´t trust everything they say.
Scepticism is good. It´s good for science. It´s part of critical thinking and there is nothing wrong with it, But what if our mistrust, our doubt, went way too far?
For years we have been hearing scientists saying that climate change is happening, while other scientists, politicians and authorities have been saying the exact opposite. If society gets mixed messages it´s only natural that mistrust gets stronger and deeper.
Katie Worth travelled around States only to discover how money from oil and gas industry has walked into schools spreading false information not only amongst teachers, but also among children. She explains how oil money is influencing politics (and vice versa) and science. The amount of examples is overwhelming. What´s more, Katie Worth says it´s not the first time we have to fight for factual science being present in schools as opposed to so-called-science. For example the battle between evolution and creationism is still on! In XXI century! Another example is the battle between tobacco industry vs entire society. Remember how they presented their own "science" to back up their believe that smoking is actually good for you?
Katie Worth explains very well the problem of doubt in climate change and why fixing it is urgent. But really, the most important question is: isn´t it already too late? Today is 16th of August 2021 and a few days ago scientists announced that our damage to climate is irreversible. One of chapters in the book is called Victory. Well, they won.
#netgalley
Scepticism is good. It´s good for science. It´s part of critical thinking and there is nothing wrong with it, But what if our mistrust, our doubt, went way too far?
For years we have been hearing scientists saying that climate change is happening, while other scientists, politicians and authorities have been saying the exact opposite. If society gets mixed messages it´s only natural that mistrust gets stronger and deeper.
Katie Worth travelled around States only to discover how money from oil and gas industry has walked into schools spreading false information not only amongst teachers, but also among children. She explains how oil money is influencing politics (and vice versa) and science. The amount of examples is overwhelming. What´s more, Katie Worth says it´s not the first time we have to fight for factual science being present in schools as opposed to so-called-science. For example the battle between evolution and creationism is still on! In XXI century! Another example is the battle between tobacco industry vs entire society. Remember how they presented their own "science" to back up their believe that smoking is actually good for you?
Katie Worth explains very well the problem of doubt in climate change and why fixing it is urgent. But really, the most important question is: isn´t it already too late? Today is 16th of August 2021 and a few days ago scientists announced that our damage to climate is irreversible. One of chapters in the book is called Victory. Well, they won.
#netgalley
November 16, 2021
I don’t remember when and how I was taught about climate change in school! I wish I did, because it would be interesting to compare my experience with the various experiences cited in Miseducation: How Climate Change Is Taught in America! Katie Worth is very thorough in how she seeks to understand such a broad topic, for the States is vast and populous and full of fragmented education systems.
I received a free eARC from NetGalley and Columbia Global Reports in exchange for a review.
Worth looks at multiple factors that affect what is taught in a classroom: teachers’ biases, federal and state standards, curriculum, and textbooks. In each chapter, she examines how these factors can intersect and how they relate to our wider society. She includes both quantitative data, such as the percentage of states that have implemented certain standards versus the percentage of population in those states, and qualitative data, such as interviews with various stakeholders. The resulting picture is comprehensive and suggests there are many areas that need to be improved if the United States is going to improve its climate change education.
I said “our wider society” above because even though this book is mostly focused on America, it does mention Canada a couple of times. Worth talks about the Fraser Institute, a conservative organization here in Canada. She doesn’t dive too much into Canadian education systems, and I can say from experience that ours (at least here in Ontario) is nowhere near as dire as what Worth describes in the US. However, the mention of the Fraser Institute is important. Also, Canadian school boards buy American textbooks, and our market is not big enough to allow us to demand our own special edition. Therefore, the textbooks in the States (and the standards in Texas that influence the content that ends up therein) do affect my country’s education as well.
In the same way, the education of Americans affects all of us. We can roll our eyes and snicker and say, “Oh, those backwards Americans!” but at the end of the day, the US remains a very powerful country. That’s why I picked up this book in the first place—not because I’m particularly invested in American education, but because I wanted to see what types of ignorance we are up against that could spill over to an international level.
Worth’s book might make a reader feel somewhat hopeless. How can we compete against the deep pockets of oil and energy companies? How do we tackle the conservative voices that seem to dominate school boards and committees? I think these are the wrong questions. Rather, I think all of the evidence Worth assembles points to a larger conclusion: climate change is a capitalism problem, and the solutions for climate change require an anti-capitalist stance.
I should be clear that Worth herself isn’t arguing this. In true journalistic form, while her bias in favour of climate change education is evident and understandable, Worth dances around the idea that science education should be political. She elects instead to include the voices of various educators who would agree or disagree with that stance. I appreciate her attention to detail and nuance and the fact that she includes the perspectives of climate change skeptics without mockery. This is valuable for me, pierces my bubble wherein I think every reasonable person must think like me. In particular, it was painful but necessary to hear young kids (grade 6) wrestle with their doubts about the reality of climate change as a result of how they were being educated.
Miseducation is a detailed investigative work that provides a clear picture of the state of climate change education in America. This picture is grim, but I don’t think it means we should give up. Rather, I hope that if you read this book you will understand what we are up against and how important it is to organize, at a grassroots level, to work against the groups that prefer profit over our planet.
Originally posted on Kara.Reviews, where you can easily browse all my reviews and subscribe to my newsletter.
I received a free eARC from NetGalley and Columbia Global Reports in exchange for a review.
Worth looks at multiple factors that affect what is taught in a classroom: teachers’ biases, federal and state standards, curriculum, and textbooks. In each chapter, she examines how these factors can intersect and how they relate to our wider society. She includes both quantitative data, such as the percentage of states that have implemented certain standards versus the percentage of population in those states, and qualitative data, such as interviews with various stakeholders. The resulting picture is comprehensive and suggests there are many areas that need to be improved if the United States is going to improve its climate change education.
I said “our wider society” above because even though this book is mostly focused on America, it does mention Canada a couple of times. Worth talks about the Fraser Institute, a conservative organization here in Canada. She doesn’t dive too much into Canadian education systems, and I can say from experience that ours (at least here in Ontario) is nowhere near as dire as what Worth describes in the US. However, the mention of the Fraser Institute is important. Also, Canadian school boards buy American textbooks, and our market is not big enough to allow us to demand our own special edition. Therefore, the textbooks in the States (and the standards in Texas that influence the content that ends up therein) do affect my country’s education as well.
In the same way, the education of Americans affects all of us. We can roll our eyes and snicker and say, “Oh, those backwards Americans!” but at the end of the day, the US remains a very powerful country. That’s why I picked up this book in the first place—not because I’m particularly invested in American education, but because I wanted to see what types of ignorance we are up against that could spill over to an international level.
Worth’s book might make a reader feel somewhat hopeless. How can we compete against the deep pockets of oil and energy companies? How do we tackle the conservative voices that seem to dominate school boards and committees? I think these are the wrong questions. Rather, I think all of the evidence Worth assembles points to a larger conclusion: climate change is a capitalism problem, and the solutions for climate change require an anti-capitalist stance.
I should be clear that Worth herself isn’t arguing this. In true journalistic form, while her bias in favour of climate change education is evident and understandable, Worth dances around the idea that science education should be political. She elects instead to include the voices of various educators who would agree or disagree with that stance. I appreciate her attention to detail and nuance and the fact that she includes the perspectives of climate change skeptics without mockery. This is valuable for me, pierces my bubble wherein I think every reasonable person must think like me. In particular, it was painful but necessary to hear young kids (grade 6) wrestle with their doubts about the reality of climate change as a result of how they were being educated.
Miseducation is a detailed investigative work that provides a clear picture of the state of climate change education in America. This picture is grim, but I don’t think it means we should give up. Rather, I hope that if you read this book you will understand what we are up against and how important it is to organize, at a grassroots level, to work against the groups that prefer profit over our planet.
Originally posted on Kara.Reviews, where you can easily browse all my reviews and subscribe to my newsletter.
October 22, 2021
This was an excellent overview of climate change denialism / skepticism and general anti-science attitudes. As one of the many people who never really learned enough about climate change in school, this is an important book that's very approachable. Even though this really focused on the shortcomings of the US's educational system and the unchecked power of oil companies, I also learned good bit about climate science itself.
I also appreciated that the tone was urgent but not alarmist. Rather, it focused on the importance of properly educating students about climate change so that they can be a part of the solution.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
I also appreciated that the tone was urgent but not alarmist. Rather, it focused on the importance of properly educating students about climate change so that they can be a part of the solution.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
January 15, 2023
Absolutely terrifying 😳
Give it a go if your existential dread had momentarily ceased…
Give it a go if your existential dread had momentarily ceased…
May 8, 2023
as an expert on this subject i feel licensed to be very picky about a journalist researching and writing on climate education in the us. overall, worth did a good job. it covers the general scope of climate education in the us today. there is a lot of nuance to be desired in this text because it’s a short book, and to go more in depth would demand a lot more time and energy and text. basically it’s a good accessible primer for the subject area but leaves a lot out (naturally).
May 5, 2022
Really alarming look at what children are learning about climate change at school. The problem includes paid disinformation campaigns, teachers who are (rightfully) afraid to rock the boat and teach information that parents will object to, Publishers afraid of being rejected by large climate-denying markets and more. Both-sides-ism is rampant, the accuracy of information provided in textbook is tailored to the political climate of different states, but possibly the most upsetting example of double-standard is the text book with "basic" and "advanced" texts provided for the same grade, at the same school. The advanced class is given accurate information, and the basic class is given wishy-washy "who knows what causes climate change?" text. Keep in mind that with the current trend of nut jobs taking over school boards, this is only going to get worse.
February 6, 2022
We’ll done, but predictable. We’re screwed as a nation (world) because stupid is winning. Just look at the millions who still believe Trump won in 2020 only because the world’s biggest liar told them he did. Now these same people who think Covid is a liberal hoax want to have cameras in the classroom to make sure teachers are not propagandizing their children. If millions are eager to ban/burn books, what chance does a real climate change education have? But whatever you do, “don’t look up.”
November 27, 2021
Wow. Let me just start with that.
This book is amazing. I absolutely loved it. Written in an engaging, direct style, this book takes you in- gives you a touch of history, and takes you on a journey right to the current moment. I knew, as one does if they are willing to think, of the vast differences and divides in approaches to the existence of climate change- but the wide ranging examples and sometimes startling facts- they put the whole thing in another light. For example, the book highlights one survey of 115 teachers where half of them did not even know that there was scientific consensus on climate change. That just goes to show the deep impact that the efforts by big oil, or conservative groups have had. Denying it is one thing, not knowing something that is well established, while you're a teacher, is another.
Another thing I particularly appreciate about this book is that it isn't afraid to name names. Generally, books on climate change have a way about them- the use of words is so that it conveys the message, but isn't direct 'in your face'. That isn't the case here. States (Idaho), publishers putting out different set of books, unfairly focussing attention on one aspect, when bothering to speak about climate change, while letting the other one slide, or retaining contrarian language, or even particular individuals, it's all there.
To a common reader who isn't entirely aware of the politics and games that have got us to the point of a 'red flag for humanity' as per the IPCC's latest report, this book, short, sharp and well researched, will give you the truth straight up, of how our politicians and moneyed interest groups, in their blind desire for money, have led us (almost) to the point of no return.
Its does make a point that millennials and Gen Z are more aware of the dangers we face, despite the divisions, which I hope is true, but I'm not certain that it is.
Everyone needs to read this book- realise that they may have been taught bilge in school, learn the truth and then put in the work to save us from doom.
(ARC was thanks to Net Galley. My gratitude)
This book is amazing. I absolutely loved it. Written in an engaging, direct style, this book takes you in- gives you a touch of history, and takes you on a journey right to the current moment. I knew, as one does if they are willing to think, of the vast differences and divides in approaches to the existence of climate change- but the wide ranging examples and sometimes startling facts- they put the whole thing in another light. For example, the book highlights one survey of 115 teachers where half of them did not even know that there was scientific consensus on climate change. That just goes to show the deep impact that the efforts by big oil, or conservative groups have had. Denying it is one thing, not knowing something that is well established, while you're a teacher, is another.
Another thing I particularly appreciate about this book is that it isn't afraid to name names. Generally, books on climate change have a way about them- the use of words is so that it conveys the message, but isn't direct 'in your face'. That isn't the case here. States (Idaho), publishers putting out different set of books, unfairly focussing attention on one aspect, when bothering to speak about climate change, while letting the other one slide, or retaining contrarian language, or even particular individuals, it's all there.
To a common reader who isn't entirely aware of the politics and games that have got us to the point of a 'red flag for humanity' as per the IPCC's latest report, this book, short, sharp and well researched, will give you the truth straight up, of how our politicians and moneyed interest groups, in their blind desire for money, have led us (almost) to the point of no return.
Its does make a point that millennials and Gen Z are more aware of the dangers we face, despite the divisions, which I hope is true, but I'm not certain that it is.
Everyone needs to read this book- realise that they may have been taught bilge in school, learn the truth and then put in the work to save us from doom.
(ARC was thanks to Net Galley. My gratitude)
February 19, 2022
I'm always keen to read books about climate change and this one seemed especially interesting to me as it deals with how we educate (or don't) children about climate change.
The author went around the country to interview teachers, school administrators, students, and parents to see what if any information the children in their communities were receiving on this topic. I think most of us won't be surprised to learn that it varies widely depending on the political party that holds sway over states, cities, and districts. The U.S. does not have a national standard of education which means that states and indeed individual schools can make decisions about how much information they impart to the students in their classrooms. [A/N: This goes for the actual textbooks that are used across the U.S. as well. They actually have widely different content! This really blew my mind even though it seems quite obvious in hindsight.] The standard of a state may be 'this topic can be covered as long as all sides of the debate are discussed' even though among those in the scientific community there is no debate about whether or not climate change is real and if it is mostly caused by human activity. (It is and it is.) Still in other parts of the country the topic is not even brought up at all for fear of making waves.
So what we end up with is uneven access to information which leads to uninformed adults who will one day be making decisions based off of the scant information they've absorbed. Whether or not you have children, I think this is most definitely something you should be concerned about as it will have an impact on everyone down the line. Check out the educational standards where you live, visit the next school board meeting to ask questions, and if you do have young people in your life make sure that the facts they are receiving at school are indeed the facts.
The author went around the country to interview teachers, school administrators, students, and parents to see what if any information the children in their communities were receiving on this topic. I think most of us won't be surprised to learn that it varies widely depending on the political party that holds sway over states, cities, and districts. The U.S. does not have a national standard of education which means that states and indeed individual schools can make decisions about how much information they impart to the students in their classrooms. [A/N: This goes for the actual textbooks that are used across the U.S. as well. They actually have widely different content! This really blew my mind even though it seems quite obvious in hindsight.] The standard of a state may be 'this topic can be covered as long as all sides of the debate are discussed' even though among those in the scientific community there is no debate about whether or not climate change is real and if it is mostly caused by human activity. (It is and it is.) Still in other parts of the country the topic is not even brought up at all for fear of making waves.
So what we end up with is uneven access to information which leads to uninformed adults who will one day be making decisions based off of the scant information they've absorbed. Whether or not you have children, I think this is most definitely something you should be concerned about as it will have an impact on everyone down the line. Check out the educational standards where you live, visit the next school board meeting to ask questions, and if you do have young people in your life make sure that the facts they are receiving at school are indeed the facts.
April 9, 2022
See my full review here.
Investigative journalist Worth delves deeply into the current state of climate education in primary and secondary education in America. She did her research – she reviewed dozens of textbooks, built a 50-state database, and visited children and teachers around the country to learn just what kids are taught in the classroom. She unveils what is effectively a red state/blue state division; where you live determines how well you will be taught climate science, if at all. If you aren’t angry and horrified when you read this, you missed the point. While the criticism is sharply focused on U.S. classrooms, Canada gets some attention, including a comment on a Fraser Institute booklet of questionable lesson plans on climate change. There is hope, as Worth offers an epilogue reminding readers of dedicated teachers around the country who are working to help students develop critical thinking skills and a desire to make a difference, and are standing up to the funding sources that come with unacceptable expectations. The book includes a lengthy footnote section, much of it annotated, along with an annotated list of resources. It’s published by Columbia Global Reports, a publishing imprint that produces up to six ambitious works of journalism and analysis a year, each on a different, underreported story in the world. My thanks for the digital copy provided through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Investigative journalist Worth delves deeply into the current state of climate education in primary and secondary education in America. She did her research – she reviewed dozens of textbooks, built a 50-state database, and visited children and teachers around the country to learn just what kids are taught in the classroom. She unveils what is effectively a red state/blue state division; where you live determines how well you will be taught climate science, if at all. If you aren’t angry and horrified when you read this, you missed the point. While the criticism is sharply focused on U.S. classrooms, Canada gets some attention, including a comment on a Fraser Institute booklet of questionable lesson plans on climate change. There is hope, as Worth offers an epilogue reminding readers of dedicated teachers around the country who are working to help students develop critical thinking skills and a desire to make a difference, and are standing up to the funding sources that come with unacceptable expectations. The book includes a lengthy footnote section, much of it annotated, along with an annotated list of resources. It’s published by Columbia Global Reports, a publishing imprint that produces up to six ambitious works of journalism and analysis a year, each on a different, underreported story in the world. My thanks for the digital copy provided through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
September 21, 2024
Ah, so this is one of those, "you think you understand, but it's actually worse than you think" kind of social issues, cool!
I've been out of the public school system for about 17 years now, and I do not remember if I was formally taught about global warming or climate change in any official capacity. I knew of it, but I can't remember how or when or where I first learned about it. And I guess going forward I just assumed that kids coming after me would be taught in a more direct way than I had. Turns out that's kind of geographically and/or politically dependent.
Sidestepping whether or not it should be an issue, it is, and this book offers a shortened timeline of how interests aligned to bring the fight into the classroom (as if public school teachers didn't have enough going on). I found it specifically interesting how in the late 90's through early 2000's the evangelical right was largely pro-environment - spun as a sort of, "we must protect God's creation" kind of goal - but then abruptly realigned with large gas and oil company propaganda circa 2005. Seems like Big Oil just piggybacked onto the decades-old battle against evolution being taught in schools, and used Big Tobacco's playbook of denying and obfuscating the evidence for as long as possible.
Not exactly an uplifting read, but as a childless adult who doesn't really have any young people in my life this was pretty eye-opening into an issue I didn't fully know was going on.
I've been out of the public school system for about 17 years now, and I do not remember if I was formally taught about global warming or climate change in any official capacity. I knew of it, but I can't remember how or when or where I first learned about it. And I guess going forward I just assumed that kids coming after me would be taught in a more direct way than I had. Turns out that's kind of geographically and/or politically dependent.
Sidestepping whether or not it should be an issue, it is, and this book offers a shortened timeline of how interests aligned to bring the fight into the classroom (as if public school teachers didn't have enough going on). I found it specifically interesting how in the late 90's through early 2000's the evangelical right was largely pro-environment - spun as a sort of, "we must protect God's creation" kind of goal - but then abruptly realigned with large gas and oil company propaganda circa 2005. Seems like Big Oil just piggybacked onto the decades-old battle against evolution being taught in schools, and used Big Tobacco's playbook of denying and obfuscating the evidence for as long as possible.
Not exactly an uplifting read, but as a childless adult who doesn't really have any young people in my life this was pretty eye-opening into an issue I didn't fully know was going on.
August 26, 2022
XXXXX
SUBVERTING CLIMATE CHANGE SCIENCE IN THE CLASSROOM
XXXXX
"Why are millions of American children learning mixed or false messages about the phenomenon that will dictate their future?
How did there come to be a red-blue divide in climate [change] education?
Who has tried to influence what children learn, and how successful have they been?
I spent years tracking down the answers to these questions."
The above quotation (in italics) comes from this VERY informative book by Katie Worth. She is an Emmy and award-winning investigative journalist. Worth's work has appeared in countless publications including "Scientific American."
In this book, Worth explores a not-so-apparent aspect of the climate crisis: the miseducation around climate change in American schools thus causing confusion and doubt among millions of school children. She reveals how the science education that might save all of us has been influenced by partisan politics and special interest groups thus putting all of us at risk.
This book is both exceptionally well-researched and engagingly well-written.
Finally, given the importance of this book, I was surprised that it has no index. There is a wealth of information presented but unfortunately no easy access to it.
In conclusion, this book provides more solid evidence of the politicization of everything including the truth. This is an important book and is for anybody concerned with the future of humanity!!
XXXXX
(2021; U.S. political map showing how well each state's academic standards address climate change; introduction; seven chapters; epilogue; main narrative 150 pages; acknowledgements; further reading; notes)
XXXXX
SUBVERTING CLIMATE CHANGE SCIENCE IN THE CLASSROOM
XXXXX
"Why are millions of American children learning mixed or false messages about the phenomenon that will dictate their future?
How did there come to be a red-blue divide in climate [change] education?
Who has tried to influence what children learn, and how successful have they been?
I spent years tracking down the answers to these questions."
The above quotation (in italics) comes from this VERY informative book by Katie Worth. She is an Emmy and award-winning investigative journalist. Worth's work has appeared in countless publications including "Scientific American."
In this book, Worth explores a not-so-apparent aspect of the climate crisis: the miseducation around climate change in American schools thus causing confusion and doubt among millions of school children. She reveals how the science education that might save all of us has been influenced by partisan politics and special interest groups thus putting all of us at risk.
This book is both exceptionally well-researched and engagingly well-written.
Finally, given the importance of this book, I was surprised that it has no index. There is a wealth of information presented but unfortunately no easy access to it.
In conclusion, this book provides more solid evidence of the politicization of everything including the truth. This is an important book and is for anybody concerned with the future of humanity!!
XXXXX
(2021; U.S. political map showing how well each state's academic standards address climate change; introduction; seven chapters; epilogue; main narrative 150 pages; acknowledgements; further reading; notes)
XXXXX
December 3, 2021
Where to start with this review? This book was both terrifying and fascinating. I had no idea when I started how much both Oklahoma (where I grew up as a child) and Hawaii (where I've lived for 20 years and raised my own child) would feature in this book. I must say that I'm shocked by the things I've learned from this book about Oklahoma's education standards (along with far too many other mainland states). Because my own son is very knowledgeable about Climate Change and this topic has been included in his public elementary school curriculum as well as his private college-prep school curriculum every year since preschool, I think I just assumed that this was an accepted educational topic in all developed countries. I had a hard time sleeping several nights after reading. Highly recommend for any parent, educator, legislator, or human who cares about future generations. My take from this is that we must do more beyond the steps we take in our own homes. This is important information that needs to get into the hands of those of us who care and those who can make change happen. PLEASE read this book. It's hard to stomach at times, but it's just so important to understand where we are. And why we're here.
October 16, 2022
Let me preface this by saying that I, someone who has taught about climate change at the college level, am not the target audience for this book. I already know that the way climate change is taught in K-12 schools is full of problems because it's what you have to undo for some students when they're in your college classroom.
That said, I appreciated how Worth laid out the evidence of how the problems are being embedded into K-12 education, particularly through textbooks and the problematic authors that publishers are hiring to write sections in them. I hadn't ever thought about whether those writing middle school science textbooks have any actual expertise in what they're writing about and now I know that many of them don't, which strikes me as a problem.
This book isn't setting out to convince anyone that climate change is real. Rather, its focus is on how it's being taught because that is an area for change if concerted effort is made. And, most importantly, that change can happen at the local level, giving everybody something they can do.
That said, I appreciated how Worth laid out the evidence of how the problems are being embedded into K-12 education, particularly through textbooks and the problematic authors that publishers are hiring to write sections in them. I hadn't ever thought about whether those writing middle school science textbooks have any actual expertise in what they're writing about and now I know that many of them don't, which strikes me as a problem.
This book isn't setting out to convince anyone that climate change is real. Rather, its focus is on how it's being taught because that is an area for change if concerted effort is made. And, most importantly, that change can happen at the local level, giving everybody something they can do.
April 12, 2022
Wow, I blazed through this book like a wild stallion running from a climate change induced mega fire in the Californian foothills.... (I apologize for this sad imagery, wtf)... but wow, wow. Just wow. Groundbreaking, necessary, painfully timely. Well written, well researched, great interviews, no rock left unturned. Good commentary, good insights, logical approach to a vastly illogical issue.
Ever wondered why the United States, a country with ample resources and wealth, has such a massive population of climate deniers?
Taking up the deliberately foggy issue of climate change denial and its roots in the underfunded American public education system, Worth expertly builds the case that an entire network of denial propaganda has been implanted into the minds of American children by evangelical groups and big oil.
She weaves together an armory of information to examine the cultural gaslighting by the conservative right that has created a historically withstanding political and educational environment of doubt, confusion, and diminishing surrounding climate science.
This is peak journalism and I recommend it to literally everyone. The writing may not knock your socks off, but the information? Inflammatory.
(P.s. conservatives love to talk about “protecting children” and use this stance when creating legislation that restricts LGBTQ rights and more... but turn around and develop covert propaganda campaigns that directly target children into not trusting science and eating unhealthy subsidized fast food, among other things. “Protect the children”, my ass.)
Ever wondered why the United States, a country with ample resources and wealth, has such a massive population of climate deniers?
Taking up the deliberately foggy issue of climate change denial and its roots in the underfunded American public education system, Worth expertly builds the case that an entire network of denial propaganda has been implanted into the minds of American children by evangelical groups and big oil.
She weaves together an armory of information to examine the cultural gaslighting by the conservative right that has created a historically withstanding political and educational environment of doubt, confusion, and diminishing surrounding climate science.
This is peak journalism and I recommend it to literally everyone. The writing may not knock your socks off, but the information? Inflammatory.
(P.s. conservatives love to talk about “protecting children” and use this stance when creating legislation that restricts LGBTQ rights and more... but turn around and develop covert propaganda campaigns that directly target children into not trusting science and eating unhealthy subsidized fast food, among other things. “Protect the children”, my ass.)
January 17, 2022
Young people are more likely than their parents or grandparents to accept that humans are messing with the climate, but nonetheless, a 2021 UN survey found that a quarter of Americans under eighteen declined to call it an “emergency” - a rate higher than any other nation surveyed in Western Europe or North America.
This is the introduction for a book that is equally frightening and uplifting. The author spent a lot of time researching the reasons of why American children still deny climate change, and she did a great job. The style is both informative (a lot of notion packed in these few pages) and clear and simple in its terrifying revelation: spacing from lobbies' fault to the lack of informed teachers, we uncovered the truth, without only a scapegoat we can blame.
How did we get here? Why are millions of American children learning mixed or false messages about the phenomenon that will dictate their future? How did there come to be a red-blue divide in climate education? Who has tried to influence what children learn, and how successful have they been? I spent years tracking down the answers to these questions. What I found were the unmistakable signs of moneyed interests and entrenched ideology.
To make a truly climate literate student body, he said, climate should be incorporated in developmentally appropriate ways throughout elementary school. It should be all over biology, chemistry, and physics standards, each of which have clear scientific connections to the phenomenon. And it shouldn’t just show up in science. Arts, language, history, civics, and economics teachers all have a role to play in preparing their students for the crisis the world is being transmogrified by, he said. A truly robust set of standards could make this happen.
Table of Contents
Introduction
1. The Science and the Doubt
2. The Teachers
3. The Evolution
4. The Standards
5. The Textbooks
6. Selling Kids on Fossil Fuels
7. The Victory
Epilogue
Rating: ★★★★
***Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.***
December 27, 2021
This is a wonderfully researched book on the politicization of American k12 education where state houses and conflicted corporate interests are driving what we do and don’t teach students today about climate change. It certainly explains why our response to this massive crisis has been so tepid and so inadequate and so dangerous. We need forward leaning companies that are leading the way on climate transformation in their own organizations (Walmart, Pepsi, so many others) combined with the global philanthropies that have been leading here for decades to weigh in on what the science says and what students should be aware of. There’s not a lot of time left to start telling students the truth.
February 10, 2022
Good journalism. Really lays bare the insidious efforts of the greedy fossil fuel industry to infect the minds of our children. Paying politicians, influencing standards, changing how textbooks are written to include qualifiers like "Many scientists think" or "Greenhouse gases are one of the main causes of climate change." Greedy, evil, corrupt, profiteering. I firmly believe that the short game to address the climate crisis is nonviolent civil disobedience. The long game, however - how to change everything and (hopefully) stabilize what's left - is robust climate education for all students. That way in the 2040s and 2050s and 2060s we have a generation of adults who gets it.
November 10, 2023
An important read for anyone hoping to fully understand the United States' purposeful inaction on climate change. This book focuses specifically on education, but encompasses the political and economic reasons that influence the American education system.
The most obvious comparison point for this book is Naomi Orsekes' Merchants of Doubt, which chronicles how various industries have purposely muddled public opinion about tobacco and environmental issues. If you liked that book (or documentary), this book tackles many of the same issues but is more readable than Orsekes' book.
Anyways, I think this is a must read. It's quite short and easily doable.
The most obvious comparison point for this book is Naomi Orsekes' Merchants of Doubt, which chronicles how various industries have purposely muddled public opinion about tobacco and environmental issues. If you liked that book (or documentary), this book tackles many of the same issues but is more readable than Orsekes' book.
Anyways, I think this is a must read. It's quite short and easily doable.
March 9, 2024
Any book that cites Al Gore as educated source is probably not worth the trees they used to create it. Follow the money who is gaining wealth from the policies they are putting in place. Not impressed with this book and how they want to teach the children, let's understand the science and understand who funds the studies. This book falls on its face with the studies that it cites. But leads me to the question why does she want to put propaganda in front of our children instead of teaching them about the scientific theory? I'm all for taking care of the world we live in but people's lives are more important than regulating them out of business.
Read
November 9, 2021This book had loads of valuable information but it was literally just 184 pages of straight facts and citations. There was no weaving of a narrative or storyline, instead just a constant bombardment of data. Which got really old, really fast. I understand the desire to let the reader make up their mind on their own, but it was already clear what conclusion Worth wanted you to draw and so I wish she had just explicitly come out and said that. It would have made this book all the more powerful simply because it would have been a lot less dry
December 18, 2022
An important book highlighting the many ways fossil fuel industries have worked to keep accurate information about climate change out of our classrooms. Which is unfortunate, because an understanding of climate science is a great way to see how the typical science subjects in our K-12 classrooms (biology, physics, and chemistry) all come together to explain how the world works.
But, thankfully, the kids are (mostly) all right. They tend to be naturally curious and their bullshit detectors are usually better tuned than those of their elders.
But, thankfully, the kids are (mostly) all right. They tend to be naturally curious and their bullshit detectors are usually better tuned than those of their elders.
October 19, 2024
A journalist investigates why schools don't teach climate change in science class. Among the answers are a lack of curriculum, inadequate teacher training, and are simply not part of the state learning standards. But more significantly there has been a deliberate propaganda campaign to confuse the public about climate change and prevent it from being taught in schools. The forces behind this campaign are the monied interests oil companies and private libertarian groups who oppose reasonable policies to address the consequences of climate change.
October 18, 2023
Thank you, Katie, and to all those named in the acknowledgements. There surely is not a more important book for educators, school boards, or stateswomen to read regarding the climate crisis related education of our youth in the United States of America. I was enthralled, disgusted, outraged, and satisfied by the time I finished reading. This book is for anyone who claims to be a part of American culture and is in touch with parents, teachers of children, or lawmakers.
August 5, 2025
I gravitated toward this book as a teacher in America in a blue state. It was really interesting to read about middle America, and some of the issues that many teachers and families face across the country that I have never personally dealt with. I recommend this book for people who have little knowledge about the American education system behind the scenes, the impacts of regulations, big corporations, and textbook companies.
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