U.S. schools spend more on utilities than books and computers combined.

Public schools spent $8 billion on utilities in 2002, up by $2 billion from 2000, and the fluctuating utility and oil prices can be daunting when planning for the future.  Although natural gas and oil prices have come down significantly from their high last July, it is important to remember their recent impact.

Read more of this story »

Environmental propaganda or science, those issues are being debated, as the bill introduced by State Senator Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, moves through the Legislature.

The measure was approved by the Senate on Jan 30 by a 26-13 vote. It now moves to the state Assembly, where Republicans are not happy with the legislation.

According to Mercury News, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has not commented on the proposal.

Opponents of the bill say the science on global warming isn’t clear and could introduce environmental propaganda into classrooms.

Proponents, on the other hand, think it’s a great idea and the talk of politics should be put aside. Teachers, they say, would have a lot to talk about, what is and isn’t known about global warming, carbon dioxide levels and global temperature monitoring.

Global warming is mentioned in discussions about weather in California high schools, but is not required to be covered in all textbooks, which Simitian’s law would mandate.

What do you think? Is it time to bring climate change and global warming into high school science classes? Is it environmental propaganda or an emerging science that should be taught?

To read the bill, go to www.senate.ca.gov, click “legislation” and type SB 908.

Image: Courtesy Joe Simitian