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Among a list of “benefits” of climate change, the under-fire BBC sparked outrage by sharing its Bitesize guide online that detailed the creation of shipping routes because of melting ice. It also highlighted lower heating bills as a result of warmer weather conditions in the winter. “Positive impacts of a warmer global climate” included “warmer temperatures and increased CO2 levels leading to more vigorous plant growth”, “animals and plants could benefit and flourish in a changing climate”, and resources such as “oil becoming available in places such as Alaska and Siberia when the ice melts”.
Others included claims that warmer temperatures lead to “healthier outdoor lifestyles”, there would be “new tourist destinations”.
But the page sparked a furious reaction, with lifelong environmental activist and Guardian journalist George Monbiot highlighting it to his 425,000 Twitter followers after he was tipped off by a teacher.
He raged: “This is what BBC Bitesize is teaching our children about climate breakdown.
“I’m sorry, but it’s an absolute disgrace.”
After the BBC deleted the GCSE revision guide, Mr Monbiot tweeted: “Well done Twitter – the BBC has now dropped that ridiculous list of ‘positive’ aspects of our global catastrophe.
“But two questions remain: why did it think this fossil fuel propaganda was an appropriate teaching tool, and why did it ignore previous requests to change it?”
Extinction Rebellion, well known for their often disruptive demonstrations against the Government’s stance on climate change, also lashed out at the GCSE revision guide.
The environmental campaign’s south-east group said: “GCSE students, young people, those facing future disasters, deserve better than to be judged on questions which warp and distort the truth.”
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“As part of our courses, we also ask students to explore opposing attitudes to climate change, however, we do not advocate a positive viewpoint on this topic.
“The resources developed by BBC Bitesize were created without any involvement from our Geography team, therefore do not accurately reflect the content of our specifications.
But other people on Twitter defended the BBC and pointed the finger of blame at the Government, demanding a change to its guidance on such matters.
One person wrote: “And once again the BBC is taking the flak for a government decision.
“The national curriculum requires that positives must be taught as well as negatives, even for things like catastrophic climate change.
“BBC Bitesize follows the curriculum.”
In response to the criticism, the BBC said: “We have reviewed the page and have amended the content to be in line with current curricula.”
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