Portions of
an 11th grade science textbook in California had been lifted
directly from comments submitted by the American Chemistry Council that were
very favorable to the Plastics Industry, according to a new report by California Watch. While this is hardly new or unusual
(private industry has always been a major influence on curricula and textbooks),
what is unusual is that the state of California has stepped in to fix the
biased chapter.
Last year, a
California
Watch investigation found
that whole sections of the 11th-grade teachers’ edition guide had been copied
almost exactly from comments submitted by the American Chemistry Council. Soon
after, the head of state schools Tom Torlakson issued a statement saying his office would work
with CalEPA to examine and review the material.
The new
chapter fixes problems with a section that was originally titled, “The Advantages
of Plastic Shopping Bags.” Overall it incorporates 33 changes, including more
recent and accurate recycling statistics and other changes to the text. One
example from the original version suggested that Californians recycled their
plastic bags at a rate of 12%, a number high enough that it should have raised
eyebrows. The new version provides state estimates that are closer to 3%.
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