Former Senator Al Gore believes global warming is true and happening. His recent documentary titled, An Inconvenient Truth, covers everything from what global warming is, how it’s caused, the effects of it so far, and what it will do to our world in the very near future. This film recently won an Academy Award for best Documentary at the 2007 Oscars.
Gore, in his Oscar acceptance speech said, “People all over the world, we need to solve the climate crisis. It’s not a political issue; it’s a moral issue. We have everything we need to get started, with the possible exception of the will to act. That’s a renewable resource. Let’s renew it.”
Just one month ago Federal Way High School in Federal Way, Washington, refused to show the movie An Inconvenient Truth unless the teacher could present a credible, legitimate opposing side of view.
Co-producer of the film Laurie David stated in the Seattle PI, “I am shocked that a school district would come to this decision, there is no opposing view to science, which is fact, and the facts are clear that global warming is here, now.”
The Riptide contacted Federal Way High School last week, and was told by a representative in the office that they could not give a current policy on the movie An Inconvenient Truth, but did say, “The movie is not currently being shown in any classrooms in the high school because the teachers have not put it in their curriculum,” Nine schools in the Nisqually League, including VHS, were polled by The Riptide and asked whether they would allow the An Inconvenient Truth to be shown without an opposing side of view. Five schools responded.
The principal of Franklin Pierce, Eric Hogan responded by saying, “There is no opposing side of view. That’s a loaded question. Yes, I would show it.”
Principal of Steilacoom Jan McCrimmon simply said, “Yes, I would.”
Jerry Black, principal of Orting High School allowed the movie to be shown in Earth science with parent permission.
The Chimacum Principal, Whitney Meissner, said that the movie is currently being shown, but teachers were asked to let students explore opposing sides of view.
Vashon High School’s Principal Susan Hanson said that she would allow the movie to be shown.
“We have a policy about showing commercial films. There must be a direct link to the topic of study, and if it’s PG13 or above they must have a written permission from parents. For controversial films in public institutions, we must present balanced views. We would have to show a balance of An Inconvenient Truth,” said Hanson.
Science teacher Tom Devries hopes to show the movie without showing an opposing side of view in the near future.
“I would not consider showing or discussing an opposing side of view and if I was asked to, I would challenge that,” Devries said.
One goal of the movie An Inconvenient Truth was to have it shown in classrooms around the country. The producers even donated 50,000 copies to the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), who rejected this offer. NSTA cited that accepting that offer would risk key funding from one of their supporters. It is assumed the supporter they are talking about, is Exxon Mobile.
Exxon Mobil is the largest publicly traded integrated oil and gas company in the world.
A movie advocating the reduction of gas use in our daily life could possibly not be in their best interest.
As Americans, we use 25% of the world’s energy, although we make up only 5% of the worlds population. Whether you believe global warming is happening or believe it to be untrue, it is still important to question our actions and the consequences that follow.
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There has been a long-standing tradition between Vashon High School and its sister-school in Japan, Himeji Minami High School, of student exchanges in the springtime. Last year, a group Vashon students spent 10 days in Japan over spring break. This year, a group of about 15 Japanese students and two teachers from Himeji Minami graced our fair school from March 16 until March 26.
In a world where controversy exists in almost every aspect of our lives, it is no surprise that the issue on global warming is two sided. Global warming, according to Wikipedia, is the observed increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s near surface air and oceans in recent decades and its projected continuation. There are those who believe this, and those who don’t. But this controversial topic goes even further than whether you vote red or blue. Those who believe it is happening, realize it has the potential to end the world we live in.