Introduction
There are several visible indications of climate change around the globe that are difficult to ignore. One of the most obvious signs is melting glaciers and ice caps, resulting in rising sea levels. This is having a significant impact on coastal communities and the wildlife that depends on these habitats. Another sign of climate change is the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, floods, and wildfires. This is causing significant damage to infrastructure and property and loss of life. Climate change is also causing changes in precipitation patterns, resulting in droughts in some areas and increased flooding in others. These changes are having a significant impact on how people live and the planet as a whole. This argument is persuasive and is directed to the target audience of people who are skeptical of the existence of climate change and shows several visible indications of climate change that are difficult to ignore.
In the article, “NASA Fieldwork Studies Signs of Climate Change in the Arctic, Boreal Regions,” the author, Sofie Bates, persuasively argues that climate change is real and is happening right now. She begins by describing how the Arctic and boreal regions are among the most rapidly warming on Earth (Bates). She cites data from NASA showing that the Arctic has warmed by about 2.5 degrees Fahrenheit since 1960, and the boreal region has warmed by about 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit (Bates). This warming has led to a decrease in the amount of sea ice and thawing of the permafrost. Both phenomena have major implications for the environment and human populations. Bates then describes some of the fieldwork that NASA is doing better to understand the effects of climate change in these regions (Bates). This includes studying the melting of the Greenland ice sheet, which contributes to rising sea levels.
NASA is also studying the impact of thawing permafrost on the environment and infrastructures such as roads and buildings. The data and information presented in the article make a strong case that climate change is real and is happening right now. Bates effectively uses data and examples to persuade the reader that climate change is a severe problem that needs to be addressed (Bates). Overall, Bates does an excellent job of convincing the reader that climate change is real and happening now. She provides plenty of evidence to support her claims and discusses the potential impacts of climate change in a clear and concise manner (Bates). The only thing that could be improved is the discussion of solutions to climate change. At the same time, Bates mentions reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but she does not discuss other possible solutions in depth.
The article by Javaheri et al. discusses how a heat dome is forming over the United States and how this is causing record-breaking temperatures in some parts of the country. It goes on to say that climate change is worsening this heat dome and significantly impacting how people live. The article provides several examples of how this heat dome affects people, including making it difficult to sleep, causing air conditioning bills to skyrocket, and making it dangerous to be outside for extended periods. It also discusses how climate change is expected to make heat waves like this more common in the future and how this will significantly impact public health.
The article concludes by urging people to take action to reduce their carbon footprint and to help mitigate the effects of climate change (Javaheri et al.). The report is persuasive and does an excellent job of convincing the reader that climate change is real and has a significant impact on the planet (Thunberg). It provides many examples of how climate change affects people’s lives and makes a strong case for why people should take action to reduce their carbon footprint.
The article Climate change impacts do an excellent job of persuading its readers that climate change already affects the world in various ways. In particular, the article discusses how climate change impacts the world through weather changes. Extreme weather events are becoming more common and more severe. Heat waves, droughts, and floods are all expected to become more frequent and intense as the planet continues to warm (Climate Change Impacts). This could lead to devastating impacts on agriculture and human health. In addition to changes in the weather, climate change is also causing sea levels to rise. This is due to the melting of glaciers and ice sheets and the expansion of water as it warms (Climate Change Impacts). This is already causing flooding in coastal areas and is expected to lead to even more extreme flooding.
Climate change is also causing the ocean to acidify due to the absorption of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This is having a devastating impact on marine life, as well as the humans who rely on the ocean for food and livelihoods (Climate Change Impacts). All of these impacts of climate change are already being felt by the world. And unfortunately, they are only expected to become more severe in the future. Therefore, we must take action to mitigate and adapt to climate change.
The video CUGH 2021 Satellite: Climate Change: Impact on Health in the Caribbean & Action in North America discusses the impact of climate change on health. It focuses on the Caribbean and North America and how people in these regions work to mitigate climate change’s effects. The video highlights that climate change significantly impacts people’s health and will only become more severe. The video also discusses the need for action to be taken to mitigate the effects of climate change and highlights some of the initiatives that are being taken in North America to do this (CUGH 2021 satellite: Climate change: Impact on health in the Caribbean & action in North America). Overall, the video makes a strong case for the need to take action on climate change and provides several examples of how climate change is already affecting people’s health.
Rhetorical Appeals
The first rhetorical appeal is logos, which is the appeal to logic. The argument uses facts and figures to show that climate change is real and is happening right now. For example, the opinion cites that the Earth’s average temperature has risen by 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit since 1880 and that the ten warmest years on record have all occurred since 1998 (Bates). The argument also uses data to show the impact climate change has on the planet, such as rising sea levels and the Arctic melting. The second rhetorical appeal is pathos, which is the appeal to emotion (Bates). The argument uses emotional language to show climate change’s impact on the planet and people’s lives. For example, the discussion describes how climate change is causing more extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, floods, and droughts. The argument also explains how climate change affects people’s health and how it is causing species to go extinct.
Logical Fallacies
The first logical fallacy is the false cause, which is when people assume that because two things are related, one must be the cause of the other. The argument assumes that because there is a correlation between the rise in average global temperatures and the increase in natural disasters, the rise in temperatures must cause an increase in disasters. The second logical fallacy is a false choice when people assume that there are only two options when there are more (Bates). The argument assumes that the only two options are to do nothing about climate change or completely change how we live.
Assumption
An assumption made in the argument is that climate change is caused by human activity, and thus people must reconsider their ways of life to mitigate it. The argument assumes that because we know that greenhouse gas emissions from human activity are causing the Earth’s atmosphere to trap more heat, this must be the cause of climate change. However, there is no definitive proof that this is the only or even the leading cause of climate change. As such, the only way to combat climate change is to change how we live entirely. The argument assumes that because people know that greenhouse gas emissions from human activity are causing climate change, the only way to stop it is to stop emitting greenhouse gases (Bates). However, there are other ways to combat climate change, such as planting trees or investing in renewable energy.
Conclusion
This argument is persuasive and is directed to the target audience of people who are skeptical of the existence of climate change. Overall, the evidence presented in this argument is convincing and shows several visible indications of climate change that are difficult to ignore. The melting of glaciers and ice caps, the rising sea levels, the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, and the changing patterns of precipitation all impact the planet and people’s lives. The article does an excellent job of convincing the reader that climate change is real and is already having an effect on the world.
Works Cited
Bates, Sofie. “NASA Fieldwork Studies Signs of Climate Change in the Arctic, Boreal Regions – Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet.” NASA, Web.
“Climate Change Impacts.” National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Web.
“CUGH 2021 Satellite: Climate Change: Impact on Health in the Caribbean & Action in North America.” YouTube, uploaded by CUGH TV, Web.
Javaheri, Pedram, et al. “An Eighth of the U.S. Population Is Sweltering under a Record-Breaking Heat Dome. Climate Change Is Making It Worse.” CNN, Web.
Thunberg, Greta. “Transcript: Greta Thunberg’s Speech at the U.N. Climate Action Summit.” NPR, Web.