Critical Review of Global Warming Arguments

In the blog titled Environmental Issues posted on powerdownproject.org, the blogger makes many opinionated claims to the fact that global warming is slowly but surely eating away at our environments. Because it is mainly opinionated there are many statements even within the first few sentences of the blog which reflect that not much research has gone into developing these ideas leaving lots of holes in the arguments it tries to make. There is no doubt that global warming is happening and that at this point in time humans are the main reason for it, but of the few in the scientific community who oppose the idea of global warming, this blog does not have much to offer in terms of proving them wrong. This is not to say that I do not believe in global warming, one of the reasons I chose the undergraduate program of environmental science is so that I could give a hand in making sure future generations could see the same amount of green that I have grown up to see. A lot of the content and structure is already there but I will now try to make this bloggers arguments more air tight, making it more believable and a better stand to the opposition.

The blogger begins by stating basically that global warming is an issue caused by humans, a fairly weak argument without much evidence to which the opposition could easily respond by saying that global warming has been occuring and reoccuring for hundreds of millions of years. What should have been stated would be along the lines of global warming has significantly increased due to humans and their exploits then citing a scientific article which backs the argument and works as the solid evidence needed. This blog seems to be a wake up call to the general public who have neglected the planet that gives them everything to sustain life yet the blogger bails us out by saying "Unfortunately, there are some things that you cannot avoid doing" when really the stance should be that humans are not doing their best to keep their world green. If I were the blogger I would say that carpooling and taking the bus are both better alternatives to driving a car alone, this is not only a benefit to the evironment but also to what most people can relate to, their wallets and bank accounts. That way there is a connection to the reader, that if they drive a hybrid instead of a gas guzzling trunk or leave the tap off while they are brushing, being good to the Earth is a bonus for them. Sometimes its not the strength of the argument but how well its "hits home" with the reader, if the reader is unable to relate to the suggestion then theres a good chance that they will not better their lifestyle.

At the end of the first paragraph the blogger once again leaves the reader in the dark stating that "Unfotunately, there are many factors which contribute to climate change. Many of these factors are largely created by man." The problem here is the vagueness of the statement, I would have atleast given the reader some examples of how they can help the environment and do their part in slowing down global warming like opening the windows of their house before turning the air conditioning on or taking a bike ride to the convenience store instead of driving there. That way your suggestion has some context, the idea that one persons biking instead of driving can save the planet seems a little far fetched but on a grander scale it seems quite plausible. In the second paragraph the blogger begins to talk about machines and how many harmful chemicals are used to run these machinery that make life easier for humans then they go on to say "These chemicals are actually one of the top environmental issues that concern everyone these days." This is probably the most weak statement in the entire blog because it is vague, there is no evidence and its not very believable. What should have been written was some of the chemicals names known to the average person and where to find them in the household and where disposal is possible, then have it backed by a scientific source and explain that it should be more of a concern to everyone.

One of the sentences state along the lines of the fact that the harmful chemicals are known to cause asthma and cancer, even without evidence this is a very strong statement because the two diseases are something many people have had to deal with, perhaps by changing their lifestyles slightly and stopping the use of these chemicals, they and their families can live longer and healthier lives. The paragraph concludes by saying that the overuse of resources by humans has caused the endangerment of animal and plant species which is a decent statement to make. This is because only someone without a heart would be able to ignore this situation but researching the topic of intrinsic value and ecoholism and integrating these words makes it more powerful and educational at the same time. Its supposed to be an informative blog and the person who wrote it does just that but for the reader to take in the most possible it is important to have the reader thinking about your topic after they put down the paper or close the internet window. This is opinionated, so why not suggest changes in the everyday life of the reader and leave an impression on them so that they may take it upon themselves to change and influence others in the same positive way.

Conclusion

In general the first two paragraphs of the blog lacked in aspects of being more precise, connecting with the reader and evidence. In the final paragraph there was more research done by referencing websites and the work of scientists to show that the opinions are backed and valid. The blogger wrote something along the lines of the issues of global warming when they should have developed from that the solutions to the issues instead of continuing on with unsourced claims and statements. The point of the matter is that if humans dont take hold of the situation and slow the pollution that accelerates global warming then planet itself will not be life worth for much longer. Really the blogger should have concluded with reason why global warming needs to come to a halt because without really reasons, the main theme of this blog will be forgotten faster than the ice caps are melting.

References

Environmental Issues November 9, 2010 http://www.powerdownproject.org/2010/11/environmental-issues/ Unknown Author