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Leafmatter5Educators, if you received a free and unsolicited book in the mail, would you read it? That's what a conservative "climate realist" group by the name of Heartland Institute wants you to do. In fact, it would be really swell if teachers would do a little more than just read their free book(s). If you would also start teaching some of their conceptions and beliefs, that would be great.Here's an introduction to this Heartland Institute courtesy of Dean Reynolds' report on April 22 CBS News.  There among the reported 97% of scientists who believe global warming is real, is non-scientist Joseph Bast claiming that global warming is not only part of the cycle of life on Planet Earth, but actually desirable for us humans (see video link above).Bast, CEO and President of Heartland Institute, is admittedly not a scientist; what he claims to be is a "climate realist". Here are some of the ideas Heartland Institute champions:

  • Second hand smoke, smoking, and lung cancer have no connections
  • Global warming is not a "thing" - it is more like a cycle of nature and "cold weather kills more people than warm weather does." (refer to clip at 1:15 mark)
  • In Education, the group supports the increasing charter schools, providing education tax credits for private school students, vouchers and the group supported the parent "trigger" reform started in California.
  • Health care saving accounts and a "free market" health care system, and (finally)
  • Hydraulic fracking

Curiously, or maybe not so curiously, Heartland Institute is engaged in a concerted effort to influence science educators in Grades K-12. As such, this group has committed to mailing 25,000 copies of a free book (Why Scientists Disagree About Global Warming authored by Craig Idso, PhD; Robert M. Carter, PhD; and S. Fred Singer, PhD) and DVD every two weeks until every single K-12 Science teacher in the United States has a copy (reported total 200,000 copies). Lennie Jarrett, who manages Heartland Institute's Center for Transforming Education, includes a cover letter (please read it here).Now everyone is entitled to an opinion, but if one is going to flood schools with science materials, shouldn't those materials be.... scientific? As in something that is based upon proven and replicable fact and not on opinion? Bast and Heartland Institute hope that science educators will have some doubts about that. After all, 3% of the scientific community don't agree on the cause(s) for climate change.From time to time, entities offer curriculum and materials to schools and educators for free or reduced costs. The utilities companies used to send Lenny Lightbulb coloring books to elementary school teachers who requested them. Apple Computers became prevalent technology in schools because Apple targeted the education market and offered deep discounts. As a teacher, presenting opposing opinions on issues should be part of the educational process. When proven and science-based facts are replaced by flimsy opinions of "think tanks" with a political agenda, that is not science. Here's a second viewpoint detailing why the Heartland Institutes' effort is alarming written by NY Times Op-Ed writer, Curt Stager.That's a gift that should be returned to sender.