Global Climate Change: Terms, Evidence, Image

1. Global Climate Change: Terms, Evidence, Image two positions: Greenpeace and Competitive Enterprise Institute Terms/Metaphor (Greenpeace) advocate development of “green technologies” slow “global warming” regulate “greenhouse gasses” “dirty energy” v. “clean energy” “The earth's atmosphere is made up of a delicately balanced blanket of gases, which trap enough heat to sustain life. These fundamental gases shape the environmental conditions on the planet, such as rainfall and evaporation levels.”

2. Terms/Metaphor (CEI) “Abundant and affordable energy is one of the great boons of modern industrial civilization and the basis of our standard of living. Energy makes people’s lives brighter, safer, more comfortable, and more mobile.” “Support for putting the world on an energy-starvation diet in order to avert catastrophic global warming has continued to gain ground among intellectuals and leaders in many countries. At the same time, however, the scientific case for catastrophic global warming has been collapsing rapidly, despite the alarmism promoted by United Nations scientific bureaucrats and repeated endlessly by the major media.”

3. Kinds of Evidence (Greenpeace) - who is enlisted to speak on its behalf? “Climate change is happening now and the evidence is clear. One hundred and fifty governments agree on the latest and starkest evidence of global warming from world renowned scientists, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), set up by the United Nations in 1988.” “Further, a group of 17 national academies of science from around the world issued a statement endorsing the IPCC as the most reliable source of information on climate change and its latest conclusions.” kind: appeal to international govts., UN, scientific expertise • how does the organization organize its case? consider layout of the text as a kind of evidence • http://www.greenpeace.org/campaigns/intro?campaign_id=3995

4. Kinds of Evidence (CEI) - who is enlisted to speak on its behalf? “Universities and government institutions around the world are engaged in an enormous amount of scientific research on global climate change... Yet the major impact of this research on the public policy debate over global warming does not come directly from the research itself. Instead, the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issues reports summarizing and interpreting recent climate research. The IPCC’s official pronouncements are touted by the media and become part of conventional wisdom. The problem is that the IPCC is driven by political goals, which puts a consistent slant on everything it produces. Consequently, its public pronouncements are usually misleading and often inaccurate.” kind: appeal to “unbiased” research from independent scientists (not from political body) CEI critique of IPCC similar to Bacon’s discussion of Idols of the Theater

5. how does the organization organize its case? consider layout of the text as a kind of evidence (ex. CEI pdf) Image (Greenpeace) on their climate change page

6. Image (CEI) none (but nothing is still something) throw another group into the mix: American Petroleum Institute (petroleum industry coalition) “Global Climate Change – Just the Facts” (http://api-ec.api.org/environ/index.cfm) photos of father and son enjoying nature and agriculture imply “business cares about the environment too”

7. Kinds of Evidence (API) - who is enlisted to speak on its behalf? “Some scientists believe that if the Earth's average temperature rises by several degrees during the next century, sea levels will rise too, causing flooding of some areas of the world.  This is because the warmer temperatures will cause the oceans to expand slightly.  Some scientists also say warmer temperatures will melt the polar ice caps, also raising ocean levels.  However, this effect is highly speculative and has not been confirmed with available data.  Other scientists believe that more snowfall in Polar Regions will lead to a growth of continental-scale glaciers in Greenland and Antarctica, offsetting any rise in sea level. Other climate science experts say that higher average global temperatures could lead to more severe weather, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, tropical disturbances, and harsher winters.  That's because the additional warming will, theoretically, increase the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere, and therefore, produce these severe weather effects.  However, this potential effect is, again, highly speculative.  Based on the data from known records going back for more than a century, there has been no appreciable increase either in the number or severity of storms during warmer periods. On the other hand, other scientists suggest that higher concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere and the resulting higher temperatures could temper our weather and even boost agricultural production.  Laboratory experiments and field trials have shown that higher levels of CO2 promote plant growth.  Warmer temperatures could extend the growing season, and, in some parts of the world, increase rainfall that would benefit crops.” multiple scientific voices illustrate level of uncertainty organization of text: question/answer

8. Terms/Metaphor (API) “For the past 140 years, U.S. oil and gas companies have been helping to improve the quality of life in the United States by making it possible for people to live in harmony with our nation's variable and, sometimes, not-so-friendly climate. Our products keep homes warm in winter and cool in summer. They help parents get their children to school and themselves to work. We supply the fuels that help farmers sow and reap their crops and transport them to market.  Oil and natural gas are ingredients in medicines, crop fertilizers, fabrics, and plastics. Airplanes fly, trains roll down the tracks, and buses speed along the highway powered by our products. In short, the energy born of oil and natural gas products enables all of us to live our lives with relative ease and comfort, year-round, through all kinds of weather.” terms/metaphor in this excerpt:- dramatize the centrality of petroleum-based products for our everyday lives- threaten fossil fuels = threaten those things we value- rebut the image of the earth as innocent victim; earth needs to be tamed for our use

9. tips for terms/metaphor- terms set the tone for texts- don’t only have to focus on single terms; phrases, cliches, adj. and adv. are CRUCIAL- how do terms/metaphor in your texts create relationships b/w human behavior and nature/science? tips for evidence:- KINDS of evidence, not evidence per se (ex. stats, “facts”, examples, testimony, appeal to history, appeal to authority, appeal to common sense, etc.)- kinds of writing and kinds of organization are also kinds of evidence (see S&S)- what inferences can be made about audience based on the kind of evidence used? tips for image:- examine all images from your organization/position; no images does not equal neutral- how do images in your texts (or from your organizations) create relationships between human behavior and nature/science? what kind of relationship is this and how does it help to strengthen this position on the issue?