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Notes -
Sorry to zoom in on an inconsequential part of an otherwise solid effortpost.
But there's actually quite a bit of controversy about whether recycling is 'good.' On a basic level, there's a question as to whether, for certain types of materials, it is more energy-efficient to recycle vs. manufacture new. And the fact that many times materials put in recycling bins are just sent to the dump. It isn't clear that recycling is any more environmentally friendly than putting stuff in a landfill.
But this arguably gets towards exactly why teaching more neutral concepts about how to properly analyze data and identify flaws in it's presentation or reasoning is important!
If we just say "RECYCLING GOOD" (which I got a LOT OF messaging on growing up) and don't explain how to examine the information used to make that determination, we end up with things that people take for granted as obviously true simply because they have never seen it questioned and haven't thought to question it themselves.
Can you imagine a children's show doing an episode where they ultimately conclude that it isn't sensible to recycle plastics and it is in fact more environmentally friendly to send them to the dump? Even if the conclusion is correct it would just seem so dissonant. Maybe the Tuttle Twins would do it.
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