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Features
February 11, 2010
Global warming scandal “Climategate” causes debate Elizabeth Ezell Staff Writer
Global warming, a scientific theory that explains climate change in the past century, is seen by many people as an important issue. Many studies have come out in the past 50 years showing the link between mankind and the current warming trend. This past November, however, information leaked onto the Internet brought up a controversy concerning the validity of this theory. The server at the University of East Anglia in Great Britain was hacked, and several e-mails were stolen from the University’s Climatic Research Unit. These e-mails contain conversations between scientists, discussing if certain data should be released and speculations on how to combat skeptics, as well as drafts of scientific papers. Some global warming skeptics have pointed to these e-mails as proof that scientists are having dif-
ficulty linking human influence to global warming, or that scientists are altering data to make glob-
al warming seem more extreme. “This is not a smoking gun; this is a mushroom cloud,” said Patrick J. Michaels, a climatologist who does not believe that global warming is humandriven, in an interview with the New York Times. Many in the MA community hold a strong view in favor of the theory of human-driven global warmElizabeth Ezell ing, something that isn’t always true elsewhere.
“Most people here believe in global warming,” said senior Chelsea Parish. “Something like this won’t change people’s minds. But it might in places where people already doubt global warming.” Many skeptics are trying to use this data to prove that global warming is “just” a theory. But what does it mean for something to be “just a theory”? In general
Scientific literacy is the ability to understand how scientists communicate, and to be able to understand scientific data. terms, a theory is something that is yet unproven, and therefore liable to be doubted. In the scientific community, however, a theory “is a powerful idea that explains a broad range of facts, like the theory of evolution,” said MA biology teacher and Head of Eco-Council Mark Stefanski.
“The skeptics who are using this information to their advantage understand just how many people in our society are scientifically illiterate.” Scientific literacy is the ability to understand how scientists communicate, and to be able to understand scientific data. In these e-mails, there was controversy over the use of the word “trick”, which has negative connotations to the general public. But to scientists, a trick is a good way to solve a problem. “People are trying to use a skewed version of science to undermine science and support their own claims,” said senior Gwen Muren, “something that would not be possible if everyone was able to understand scientific data equally.” Stefanski points to the importance of a good education and teaching scientific literacy, citing it as “part of a 21st Century Education,” and one of the five lenses of sustainability for the school’s Strategic Plan.
Teachers attempt to minimize effects of extended absences Olivia Powers News Editor
Science teacher John Hicks has long been acquainted with back injuries. In the 2007-2008 Each winter, schools across school year Hicks was absent for America face an annual bout of approximately six weeks due to a absences in the student body due to herniated disc in his back. During the flu and other maladies. Marin this time, although he was out of Academy is no different. This the classroom, Hicks maintained past December, MA once again regular contact with the substitute suffered an increase in student teacher and remained involved in absences. writing lesson plans, grading asHowever, resignments, and cently it has not You can do everything answering stuonly been student emails. Dedents who have in the world as a teacher spite his efforts b e e n m i s s i n g and it’s still not going to stay connected school. In the to be the same as if you to the students’ past few years, day to day acmany MA teach- were [in the classroom] tivities, Hicks ers have taken because everyone brings realizes that this extended leaves does not replace of absence. It their own strengths into his presence in seems that many a classroom. the classroom. of these absences “When you’re have been caused by a common not there, it isn’t going to be the thread. For whatever reason, much same,” said Hicks. “You can of the Marin Academy faculty’s do everything in the world as a medical needs have pulled them teacher and it’s still not going to out of the classroom. be the same as if you were [in the
classroom] because everyone brings their own strengths into a classroom.” Despite the discomfort that teacher absences sometimes cause in the classroom, MA’s faculty does try to schedule their absences for convenient times. History teacher Tom Wo o d w a r d was out of the classroom due to back surgery this December. “I tried to schedule my surgery so that I would have to take off the least amount of time possible.” said
Oliva Powers
Woodward. Though the recovery from the surgery was time consuming, Woodward only took 8 days off from school. “I decided to be gone during review days because I thought that this would provide minimal disruption to my students,” said Woodward. “And according to their final grades, my absence did not affect them significantly.” The students on the other hand feel that the absence of their teachers profoundly affects their learning experience. “It was hard at first to have substitutes when John was gone, especially substitutes who didn’t know the material that well,” said senior Melanie De Shadarevian, a member of Hicks’ sophomore chemistry class during his absence. “But, it made me work harder because I didn’t have the kind of help that I am used to receiving from the kinds of teachers that we have at MA.”