As the Los Alamitos Unified School District tries to maneuver out of the global warming controversy, much of the School District is in California’s 46 Congressional District. That seat has been held for more than two decades by perhaps one of the most outspoken global warming skeptics of all, Republican Congressman Dana Rohrabacher.
Rep. Rohrabacher’s web site (taken 9/28/2011) includes the following statement:
“Constituents may be interested to learn of the growing scientific consensus that global warming is not manmade, if it is in fact even occurring.”
Thus, local residents should not have been surprised when the Los Alamitos Unified School District was lampooned in the international press for similar comments made by Board member Dr. Jeffrey Barke.
“I believe my role in the board is to represent the conservative voice of the community and I’m not a big fan of global warming,” Dr. Barke said in May 2011. “Most teachers are left to center, and if we leave it to teachers to impose their liberal views, then it would make for an unbalanced lesson.”
These comments rocketed through cyberspace in the aftermath of the School Board requirement that an Environmental Science class at Los Alamitos High School teach both sides of the global warming debate.
Earlier this week, the Los Alamitos Board of Education voted, without Dr. Barke present, to abandoned the previously issued demand for a report to the School Board from the Environmental Science teacher. The report on the new class was never formally scheduled, but any Board member continues to have the authority to request such a report.
The question remains whether or not Dr. Barke, when he returns to the Board after recovering from surgery, will make such a request. He was not present at either of the two Board meetings when the policy change was approved. If Dr. Barke does request a Board report, the bright lights of public and media scrutiny will once again shine on Los Alamitos Unified School District.
In reviewing the AP Environmental Science course material, there seems to be plenty for a global warming skeptic to argue about. One chapter in the text book is entitled “Climate Change and Ozone Depletion.” This chapter includes “Human emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrogen oxide increase the concentrations of greenhouse gases and cause additional warming of the earth’s surface.”
Some other chapters in the textbook are “The Human Population and Its Impact,” “Environmental Hazards and Human Health,” “Air Pollution,” and “Environmental Worldviews, Ethics, and Sustainability.”
Even though the class is new this year, there are about 150 students enrolled in AP
Environmental Science at Los Alamitos High School. That is roughly the same number as those enrolled in AP US History, English Language, and English Literature.
The teacher of AP Environmental Science, who is considered to be a subject matter expert, teaches only this class. It is offered in every period except period 6 when the teacher has his conference period.
The AP Environmental Science textbook’s Climate Change chapter includes “To prevent or slow global warming we can limit fossil fuel use, shift from coal to natural gas use, place energy efficient technologies in developed and developing countries, improve energy efficiency, shift to renewable resources, reduce deforestation, use sustainable agriculture, limit urban sprawl, reduce poverty, and slow population growth.”
But global skeptics like Rep. Rohrabacher and Board of Education member Dr. Barke, might not go along with those assertions. Rohrabacher’s web site states “much of the suggested environmental legislation would decimate jobs in southern California.”
It will be interesting to see if Dr. Barke, who did not respond to our request for comments, requests a Board of Education review of Los Alamitos High School’s AP Environmental Science class.
See related articles below for more back ground on this subject.
The Los Alamitos Unified School District serves nearly 10,000 students in Seal Beach, Rossmoor, and Los Alamitos. The district includes Los Alamitos High School, a full service high school, Laurel High School, a continuation high school, McAuliffe Middle School, Oak Middle School, and six elementary schools. Mrs. Karen Russell is the current President of the Board of Education. Dr. Sherry Kropp is the Superintendant of the Los Alamitos Unified School District.
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About Dolores Barr, Publisher
Dolores Barr has lived in Rossmoor since 1992 and has created this site to provide local news for the people of Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, Rossmoor, Leisure World, Sunset Beach, and Surfside, California. My husband and I have had two students graduate from the Los Alamitos Unified School District and currently our Grandson, Ricky Apodaca, grade 3 at Weaver Elementary, is actively involved in youth baseball through LAYB and youth football through FNL.
In 
Just like the child-vaccination scare which was caused by bad science and proved to be a scam, one day we will all look back on “global warming” as nonsense. Scientists have lied to advance their agenda and protect their reputation when it comes to climate change, there is ample proof.