Quote 5

"Our generation has inherited an incredibly beautiful world from our parents and they from their parents. It is in our hands whether our children and their children inherit the same world."
Richard Branson

I like this quote because I feel very strongly as to what Richard Branson said.  It is up to us to make the Earth that we are going to pass down to our children, and their children.  It is up to us to make the Earth a safe and healthy place for them to live, a place where they will have many natural resources and beautiful sceneries.  Some people, such as myself, are very scared to see what our generation is going to do with the Earth.  And even more scary thinking about what the Earth is going to be like when we pass it down to our children.  I feel very strongly about this quote, and really urge people to look at global warming more seriously.  It is a huge improvement for us as individuals to start doing our part, such as recycling, cutting down on garbage, and using less electricity.  Nobody wants to have their children or their grandchildren growing up in a polluted, scarce environment.  It is so surprising to me that people still deny that global warming is real, after all of the evidence that scientists have.  Even if people believe that the Earth is going through natural changes, they should still realize that the natural process and the man-made disaster are two different things.  After doing a research paper on global warming, I have started recycling, cutting back on water and garbage, as well as trying to spread the word.  I hope that the rest of the world will see it and take action before it is too late.

Quote 4

"All across the world, in every kind of environment and region known to man, increasingly dangerous weather patterns and devastating storms are abruptly putting an end to the long-running debate over whether or not climate change is real. Not only is it real, it's here, and its effects are giving rise to a frighteningly new global phenomenon: the man-made natural disaster."
Barack Obama

I thought this quote coming from the President of the United States was powerful.  Then I read another quote from a previous President of the United States, and it made me enjoy this quote even more.  Barack Obama is saying that the argument of whether or not climate change is real is starting to come to an end.  It is becoming a dead end road for those people who keep fighting this issue, and continue claiming that it is “bull shit”.  Scientists that support the idea that global warming is real are beginning to pull ahead in the race to prove which side is real and which side is fake.  Barack Obama refers to “devastating storms” being tied in with global warming.  I like how Barack said “…Not only is it real, it’s here…”.  Many people refer to global warming as a man-made disaster, and I couldn’t agree more.  I think that the Earth is going through some natural changes as well, and I think that people like to blame climate change solely on the fact that some of it is occurring naturally.  But the human impact on global warming is real, and serious, and it is not the natural changes in the Earth that is going to cause species to become extinct, and make the oceans flood the lands.  I like the quote by Barack, because if somebody’s words are going to be words of encouragement for the American country to take action against global warming, it is going to be his.

Quote 3

"The global warming scenario is pretty grim. I'm not sure I like the idea of polar bears under a palm tree."
Lenny Henry

I like this quote because even though it sounds absolutely ridiculous, it is not far from the scenario.  Global warming is causing glaciers all around the world to melt, which in return causes sea levels to rise.  Well, another horrible thing about glaciers melting besides sea levels rising is that glaciers are the home to thousands of arctic animals.  Where do the animals go if the glaciers melt?  There have been reports of people finding polar bears that have drowned in the oceans.  The glaciers are melting and stranding the animals in the middle of the oceans.  Scientists say that there are some species that are going to be able to adapt to sever climate changes, but most of them will not.  I can’t imagine a polar being able to adapt to such a severe climate change such as one that would cause the animals to have to live in tropical places.  I can somewhat see the polar bear species possibly being able to adapt to the change in a way that will not be too severe, such as possibly living in a slightly warmer climate, but that is what they are doing tight now!  It is only going to keep getting worse.  Polar bears are already living in substantially warmer climates already, they will not be able to survive much more if their homes are disappearing, and their food is scarce.  The arctic is suffering from global warming immensely, and there isn’t anything we can do to take back the damage that has already been done, we can only help stop it in the future.

Quote 2

“While human-induced global warming is not going to turn present-day Earth into present-day Mars, global warming is dire enough that our most distinguished scientists recently concluded that as many as 1 million species on the planet could be extinct by 2050 if affairs do not change.”

Jay Inslee

I like this quote because I like how he said “…global warming is not going to turn present-day Earth into present-day Mars…”.  I like it because you can tell that the purpose of the quote is not to claim that the Earth is going to turn into a scenario like mars, because a lot of people do think that.  However, once the reader accepts that fact, he then goes on to say “…as many as 1 million species on the planet could be extinct by 2050…”, which to me says Earth isn’t going to become a flaming ball because of human induced actions, but 1 million species will be extinct, and that is just the beginning.  I think the quote helps clarify some peoples understanding about global warming.  Also, 2050 is not that far away, speaking in terms of science, and many more species are going to continue becoming extinct after 2050.  We really are just digging ourselves into a huge hole, and by the time a majority of Earth’s population realizes it, the Earth is going to be scarce on many natural resources, many species are going to be extinct, and it is just going to be too late.  I also like this quote a lot because I think it is a good saying to help open peoples’ eyes about the matter at hand.  If people continue at the rate we are today, by 2050 1 million species are going to be extinct.  Well what about by 2100, that’s even scarier.  It will probably be more like 2 million extinct species, or possibly even more.

Quote 1

"Some people will insist that any change our planet is experiencing is simply a natural, cyclical process, the actions of human beings have nothing to do with it."

I chose this quote because I think that one of the biggest problems with global warming is convincing people to believe that our actions are contributing to the greenhouse gases.   I am not saying that I don’t believe the Earth is going through a natural process, because that could very well be a part of it.  However, I do think that step number one should be to get everybody on the same page.  I realize that there will always be people who do not believe in global warming, it is impossible to convince the whole world.  But, imagine how much more easy it would be to take action against global warming if we had the effort from the whole world working together.  At, the same time I do not suggest putting off actions towards global warming just because not everyone believes in it.   All I am saying is that it would make it much easier if the planet as a whole was involved.  In almost all of my research that I have done, the number one assumption that people make is that the Earth is too big for humans to have any horrible lasting impact on it.  Well, I think those people are just foolish and in denial if you ask me.  I suggest for those people to do some research on global warming, and it probably won’t take too long for them to change their minds.  I liked this quote because it really is a main issue for global warming.

Summary & Evaluation 8

"Know Your Nukes"  Judy Pasternak

Summary

Many people may not have given much thought to nuclear power since Three Mile Island and Chernobyl sent the industry into a "deep sleep" some 20 years ago, but what was old is now new again.  With the issues off global warming rising, nuke's boosters repurposed fission as a reliable low-carbon alternative to coal and natural gas.  Investment "gurus" claim that uranium-mining stocks as the next big thing.  Politicians look at nuclear as a possible solution to U.S. dependence on foreign oil.  On the other side, the Sierra Club claims that the nuclear industry is no closer to finding a way to safely dispose of its long lasting radioactive waste than it was 50 years ago. 

Evaluation

This article had a lot of infomation in it that I have never heard before regarding to glbal warming.  It was very interesting to read about a possible solution to global warming that involves nukes.  I though that the author was a crdible source.  The article also showed both sides of the prespective.  One from the side who agree that nukes can make a difference, and then on the other side they claim that the technology and knowledge is no closer than what it was 50 years ago.  I think that the information the author gave was easy to understand, except it didn't really explain the process of the nuclear solution.  Therefore, leading me to believe that  maybe they aren't as far ahead as they are claiming to be.  Overall, I think that this is a credible source, however not a lot of the information would be useful for a reasearch paper because there wasn't really any proven facts to use. 

Summary & Evaluation 7

"The Current State of Climate  Change Law"  Michael Gerrard

Summary

Michael Berrard says that there are three words that are best used to describe the current state of climate change law are fragmentation, uncertainty, and insufficiency.  Almost everyone who takes climate change seriously believes that comprehensive federal legislation is needed.  President Obama and the majority of the House and Senate agree, but interest groups and partisan posturing combined to form an "almost impenetarble bramble bush" .  Legal tools are also being thrown at the problem, creating more gaps and little coordination.  EPA is doing the best they can to regulate.  Many industries are having a problem planning to go green because they can't see a clear road ahead.  The legislative outcome that is practical in the near future will believe far less greenhouse gas emissions reduction than scientists tell us is needed to avoid serious climate consequences.

Evaluation

While reading the article, I concluded that it is a very reliable source.  It used sources that were credible, and I would definitely  use it again.  The author wrote the article very well, and it was very easy for me to follow.  The thing that I liked most about the article, is that it was opinion based, but it was all backed up with legitimate scientific evidence. I suggest people who are writing research papers to at least read some articles from this source, because it really helps to see both sides, and is a great persuasive article.

Summary & Evaluation

"Plenty of Hot Air"  David May

Summary

The issue of global warming is still looked at by many Americans as being a myth.  Other Americans agree that it may be happening, but thats "ok" because its just part of a regular cycle.  The Earth is heating up now, just as it has done before, leading people to think it is only a matter of time until Earth is pushed into another ice age.  According to David May, it is not just junk science, it is consensus, settled science.  Global warming is a huge threat to mankind.  "Climate change endangers human health, affecting all sectors of society, both domestically and globally".  In October 2010, Moderen Healthcare Magazine released a cover story called "Rising Temperatures".  The article was how a large coalition of healthcare organizations is calling for federal regulation of greenhouse gases because of the public health implications of climate change.  The public unsurprisingly rejected the issue.

Evaluation

I think that this source was very interesting to read.  However, I will probably not use this source for information and facts, but more as an opinionated piece of reading.  The article gave many intersting arguments, which seem to be valid, but they are not really backed up with credible sources.  I enjoyed reading the article, but do not suggest using it for future research.  The author individually sounds credible, and the article was put together very well.

Summary & Evaluation 5

"Diet For A Healthier Planet" Aaron M. Cohen.

Summary



In the article "Diet For A Healthier Planet", the author discusses a recent study conducted by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research that determined if people use less meat and dairy in our diets, it could help reduce the agricultural greenhouse gases by as much as 80% by 2055.  The researchers found that if meat and dairy consumption patterns remain constant or increase, agricultural emissions will increase significantly. On the other hand, a 25% reduction over the next 40 years would help bring agriculture emission levels down to where they were around 1995.  Agriculture greenhouse gases are mostly caused by waste from livestock and synthetic fertilizers.  Also, around two-thirds of nitrous-oxide emissions come from agriculture, and most of that results from either raising animals or producing the feed used to raise them.  Although not nearly as much methane or nitrous oxide is released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, they both contribute substantial amounts to greenhouse gas emissions.

 Evaluation

While I was reading this article, I couldn't help but wonder where the author was getting the information from.  It didn't explain it very well in the beginning of the article, but towards the middle it started listing sources and telling where the author got the information from.  I thought that the article is a reliable source, and I would probably use it in the future.  I definitely learned some things from the article that most sources I read didn't mention.  It makes sense to me that waste from the animals or from producing the feed for them will produce nitrous oxide.  Also, I thought that that the suggestions the author and dieticians gave to help people with their diets were very realistic, and not just "over the top" information.  Overall, I thought this article was pretty well written, and the author is a reliable source.

Sources

Blog 1.  “Global Warming”. 2011.  Web. April 2011.  http://topics.nytimes.com/globalwarming

Blog 2.  Epstein, Gene.  "Global Warming Is Manageable-if We're Smart." Barron's . 89.20 (2009): 34-6.

Blog 5.  Cohen, Aaron M.  “Diet For A Healthier Planet”.  The Futurist.  44.6 (2010):  9-11. WilsonSelectPlus.  Web. 7 Apr. 2011.

Blog 3.  Prevention for Global Warming.  Web.  2010.  http://www.globalwarming-prevention.com/prevention-for-global-warming.php

Blog 4.  "Climate change will hit Asia hardest." Geographical.  (1997). 82.12 (December 2010):pg. 16.

Summary & Evaluation 4

"Climate Change Will Hit Asia Hardest"  Geographical 82 pg. 16

Summary



In the article “Climate change will hit Asia hardest”, a British risk-analysis company called Maplecroft, conducted over 40 studies to evaluate 42 social, economic and environmental factors.   According to Maplecroft “the countries most at risk are characterized by high levels of poverty, dense populations, exposure to climate-related events and a reliance on flood and drought prone agricultural land”. (Geographical pg. 16)  The conclusion of the studies resulted in sixteen countries being at extreme risk, and ten of them are from Asia.  Bangledesh was the number one country at most risk due to high poverty levels, a high dependency on agriculture and the least of all countries to be able to adapt to climate change.  The countries that have the lowest risk were mostly in Scandinavia.  Also, a new study by NASA’s Goddard Institute proves that ultimately the earth’s temperature depends on the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Evaluation

After reading this article, I came to the conclusion that this is a very credible source.  Asia is at the highest risk because they have such a large population and have extremely high poverty levels.  Making the switch to “Go Green” is an expensive transfer.  Also, Asia is very reliant on agriculture, and if crop fields are flooded and seasons change, then there is going to be major consequences for Asia.  I thought the information in this article is very reliable because of the sources that the article got information from.  It is very easy to see that the authors of this magazine are a credible source, and I will be using this magazine in the future.

Summary & Evaluation 3

"Prevention for global warming"  Web.  April 2011.  http://www.globalwarming-prevention.com/

Summary

Globalwarming-prevention.com was a very good and reliable source.  In fact, it was one of the few websites that is taking immediate action and informing the public in all kinds of ways to prevent global warming.  It gives steps that directly help prevent global warming.  This website is very informative as to what global warming is, what causes it, and what to do to prevent it.  It looks at all angles and offers people many ways and it offers alternative activities in peoples daily lives, which will in turn take steps to preventing global warming.  Some examples the webste offers are as follows: 1)  Drive less.  2)  Consider investing in a hybrid or electric vehicle.  3)  Replace lightbulbs with energy efficient flourescents.  4)  Clean or replace your filters monthly.  5)  Choose energy efficient appliances when it's time to buy new ones.  6)  Decrease your air travel.  7)  Wash clothes in cold water and air dry when you can.  8)  Use a low flow shower head.  9)  Cut down on your garbage.  10)  Unplug electronics when they are not in use.  11)  Run the dishwasher and washing machine only when you have a full load.  12)  Insulate your home better. 13)  Buy recycled paper products and recycle when you can.  14)  Bring your own reusable grocery bags.  15)  Plant a tree.  16)  Have an energy audit done on your home.  17)  Use nontoxic cleaning products.  18)  Shop locally for food.  19)  Keep your car tuned up to save gas.  20)  Eat less meat and more organic foods.  (globalwarming-prevention.com)

Evaluation

  When I was at this website, I was really surprised to see that all of the information was provided by universities such as the University of Phoenix, as well as other educational sources.  I thought that it was a very reliable source, and I was glad to see the approach that they are taking to prevent global warming, as well as inform people about it and what causes it.  The website offered information on a variety of things related to global warming.  There are many source to inform people what global warming is, and some offer ways to prevent it, but global warming-prevention.com seemed to have the most realistic solutions to the problem.  I will definitely use this source in the future for research paperss etc.

Summary & Evaluation 2

"Global Warming is Manageable-if We're Smart"  Gene Epstein.

Summary

In this article, the author talks about a new age development which is referred to as the concept of "green cities", which is basically "going green".  This article discusses the scarcity of non-renewable resources and mercurial levels of pollution, which makes the concept of "going green" more and more important,  It discusses the top 10 "astounding yet fastidious" green city projects of the future.  The prject cities are starting in the number 10 position as follows:  (10)  Al Raha, 5 sq. km project.  Abu Dhabi.   (9)  Capital green city for Abu Dhabi, 49 million sq. meters.  (8)  Ghantoot green city, Abu Dhabi, 60 sq. km.  (7)  Future City.  Hainan, China. (6)  Green City.  Nanjing, China.  20 sq. km project.  (5)  Singapore, China.  Entire city block going green.  (4)  Tianjin, China.  30 sq. km prject designed for 350,000 people.  (3)  Hanoia Green City.  (2)  Masdar in Abu Dhabi.  6sq. km project with a budget around $20 billion.  (1)  Lavasa, India. 

Evaluation

 I had some trouble following the author in this article.  I definitely think that the author is a reliable source, however, I do think that the way he worded thing was almost in a way that lead people to believe they should already know the topic, therefore detailed information is not necessary.  I could be wrong and maybe others would understand it a little better than I did.  I thought the information was very interesting, and it is good to know that people all over are "going green".  In my opinion from what I have read, China is the leader in Going Green technology.  Overall, I do not feel that I would use this source again for this research topic.  The information is very interesting, but it needs a little more explanation and more information regarding the "Green city" projects, such as exact locations and how long they have been active for.

Summary & Evaluation

Summary

Global warming has become possibly the most complicated  issue facing world leaders today.  On one hand, warnings from the scientific "communities" are becoming louder, as an increase in science evidence points to rising dangers from the ongoing buildup of human related greenhouse gases.  On the other hand, the technological, economic and political issues have to be resolved, before a worldwide effort to reduce emmisions can begin to get any easier.  Talks of climate change began in Cancun, Mexico, late in 2010 leaving the hardest issues unresolved, and at the conference they presented a "modest" agreement.  The agreement fell way short of the changes scientists say are needed to avoid dangerous climate change in the future.  The Cancun argument gives over 190 participating countries in the conference another year to decide whether to extend the Kyoto Protocol, the agreement that requires most wealthy nations to cut down their emissions while giving assistance to other developing countries to enforce a "cleaner energy future."  At the center of the international debate is a monumentous argument between rich and poor countries over who will step up first and who will pay the most for changed energy plans.

Evaluation

The New York Times is saying that Global warming is one of the hardest deciding issues to face world leaders today.  I agree that it is a hard issue to  resolve because there are so many changes that need to be made in order to make the emissions cut down, let alone stop completely.  World leaders are fighting over who is going to make the first step in this process, and who is going to pay more.  New energy plans are going to have to be made, especially for richer countries considering that the build up of gases so far has mainly come from them.  "...tens of billions of dollars are said to  be needed, only millions have flowed so far." (New York Times)

Introduction

I chose global warming for my "So What Essay" because I wanted to find out information to help me have a better understanding of the topic, and to be able to deliver facts to help others understand and care about this issue.  I do not believe everything that I hear about global warming, but I do think that there are many facts and proof that global warming will be an issue in the future.  Whether it is 10, 100, or 1,000 years from now, it is a topic that people should be aware of.  As well as to inform others what we as individuals can do to help stop and prevent global warming.