The earth is experiencing ecological and environmental issues caused by global warming. The earth is changing drastically and it is up to the American people to get up and do something about it. Why Bother? written by Michael Pollan opens the reader's eyes in a compelling way to global warming and other related environmental issues. Pollan uses rhetorical strategies such as the use of current and past events, pathos, and ethos to persuade his readers “to bother” (312) and start thinking more about the environmental issues that involves everyone. Pollan tries to persuade his reader by looking at these global issues from many different standpoints.…
Everything we do in life can affect how the environment around us, and although it is not a quick turnaround of global warming it will affect the younger generations. “Going green” has become a big deal in stores to recycle and carpooling, but spreading the word and having people become more aware do to little changes in their daily habit can make a big difference.…
On that note, I really enjoyed his real life examples about how tough it is to actually get corporations and businesses to go green. Even with a substantial ROI from his proposed solutions, managers and owners were unwilling to make a change because of their fear of damaging the company’s image or spending capital that could be used in other places. I always thought a significant amount of savings paired with cutting down GHG emissions would always be an acceptable solution to anyone. The one thing he got me to think about that I hadn’t before is the excessive amount of energy that Aspen uses. I never put it together that those second houses may have lights on a timer to scare away potential robbers or that they were heated to 75 degrees or so when no one was even there. Those facts paired with the amount of private and commercial planes that fly into the Aspen Airport equal a preposterous amount of energy that could be used in so many different and useful ways. He seems like a very smart guy and I am very happy to learn he is a part of my community. I really enjoyed reading his book and look forward to seeing him in class on…
Building a technological advance America; Introducing a new kind of economical growth in clean technology, using plug-in hybrid cars and using clean energy like windmill. For example, the green Manhattan Project, generating electricity using renewable power and reducing CO2 emission by 40 percent by 2020. Again, that one doesn’t work. “They understand the size of the problem, but they haven’t yet figure out the timing” (McKibben, We are running out of time. These plans make more sense if we had started twenty years ago. But now “ the waves are already breaking over the levee; the methane is already seeping out of the permafrost; the oil wells are already coming up dry” (McKibben, ). We are right in front of the line. Those solutions sound feasible, but they are not fast enough to preserve our planet from…
Al Gore’s presentation on global warming has opened minds across the globe. He has set a level of awareness and elevated thinking through any reasonable person’s logic concerning the well being of the planet. The theory has developed into facts, and consumers are making a conscious effort at the cash register by purchasing more “Earth- friendly” merchandise. Rather than conflict with the environment, consumer decisions and responsibilities play a major role in the prosperity and future of our planet.…
Former vice-president Albert Gore, the world’s leading environmental reform advocate, is prime example of one incapable of change. The author of An Inconvenient Truth urges civilians to think about the environment, warning that the human race is on the brink of an inevitable environmental disaster. With his beliefs, Gore should also follow a green lifestyle. Gore is simply a hypocrite, however, as his own practices are nothing like his beliefs. Residing in a twenty room mansion, Gore and his family consume twice the annual energy usage of a typical household in the United States. He…
What are you doing to help our environment? Are you recycling because it positively impacts the environment, or are you recycling because it is trendy? According to Alex Williams essay, “Buying into the Green Movement,” companies are turning an environmental movement into a fashion statement. Many people are only buying eco-friendly products because television and magazines advertise the movement as a new trend. The eco-friendly fashion statement is actually making consumers buy more, which defeats the purpose of conserving our planet. Although it is important to buy and pay attention to economically efficient products, sometimes less is actually more. The essay argues that many people are not cutting back on their usage of day-to-day items. William’s essay strongly shows his passion about the subject. Williams is able to persuade his audience to consume less through his use of logos by stating facts, using ethos to…
In his essays “Kids, Trees, and Climate Change” and “The Green Dream” Mark Hertsgaard informs us of a current would issue that is occurring that was created by humans, global warming. Americans should take global warming as a serious matter because it could extinct some plants or animals due to the climate warming up which is not suitable for some species. Also it creates ice caps to melt at rapid speeds which could lead to parts of the states that live on a border of the ocean to flood. Mark describes the issue and advises what needs to be done by first grabbing our attention. In “The Green Dream” he stated that each year, the United States government purchase 56,000 new vehicles from Detroit for official use.…
America is a material world, a world of frequent fliers and heated swimming pools, that makes comfort and indulgence a priority. What used to be a fast paced culture is now a society expectant upon immediate gratification, whose inhabitants are more likely to drive an SUV two blocks to McDonald’s rather than walk to the nearest market. It’s a country where the norm is to own more than one car per family, where meat is often a part of every meal, where you can find central air and state of the art appliances in any given middle class home. And in a country as fabulous and extravagant as America, the cost of living acquires a whole new meaning. America is one of the leading contributors of carbon dioxide emissions in the environment because of its eco-unfriendly culture. These harmful emissions trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere, leading to climate change and other environmental problems. By accelerating what is known as “the greenhouse effect”, American lifestyles have begun to affect the lives of those all over the world – a situation for which responsibility needs to be taken. Though there are varying opinions on how to go about resolving America’s impact on the environment, the best solution would be to implement what is known as a Cap and Trade system – a system that would be the most efficient means of decreasing carbon dioxide emissions, ultimately bringing in the reigns on environmental, economic and health problems worldwide.…
Energy, natural resources, conservation—these are all hot topics in Washington today. But, to what extent should the United States government be responsible? America is in desperate need of a “green revolution” (Friedman). However, the problem is not only America’s; the entire globe suffers from the effects of global warming (graph). While it is undeniable that the American government needs to develop initiatives regarding energy conservation and anti-global warming legislation, would their effect be enough? Would the process be worthwhile? It would.…
The American Civil War devastated the South. Most of the war was fought in the South and much of the region's infrastructure was destroyed. New technologies showing America's emerging industrial greatness were refined the Civil War: the railroad, the steamboat, the telegraph, and the steam-powered printing press. On the otherhand, the North was headed towards manufactoring and commercial economy. Industrulization was impacted and urbanization.…
Did you know that by our everyday habits and choices, the average American puts out 22 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year? Experts studying the recent climate history of the earth agree now that global warming is occurring at a precipitous rate, and human activities are the dominant force driving the trend. Our smokestacks, tailpipes, and burning forests emit CO2 and other gasses that add to the planet’s natural greenhouse effect, allowing sunlight in, but preventing some of the resulting heat from radiating back to space. Many climate experts say that without big curbs in greenhouse gas emissions, the 21st century could see temperatures rise 3 to 8 degrees, weather patterns sharply shift, ice sheets shrink, and seas rise several feet. The problem of global warming seems overwhelming, but there is a lot you can do to help. Reducing your personal share of global warming emissions is easier than you think.…
One thing that affects the atmosphere very much is cars. The pollution from cars kills animals, plants, and other organisms. (Document F) Organisms have to be rescued, if they continue dying, the world will be left with no resources. If people just walked instead of using a car at least a day of each week, many organisms would be saved. The government has many options they could take to reduce greenhouse gasses, for example The Kyoto Protocol. (Document K) The problem is that they don’t believe it is happening.…
Today’s teens are more wired up, plugged in, worldly and savvy than ever. Many care deeply about the threats facing our environment, and are committed to making a difference. But it’s not always easy to know exactly what to do to help our planet.…
Take a moment to think about the amount of energy that you, just a miniscule one human-being on this earth out of billions, use each and every day. Simple tasks that each human does at every little moment use up a sufficient amount of energy: turning a light on in your house, driving to school or work, or using air conditioning to cool your house. Unfortunately, this energy releases massive amounts of carbon dioxide emissions on to the earth. The amount of carbon dioxide that we are releasing using the energy that we are is harmful to the earth and to future generations; our future relatives could be in danger because of this. It’s important for the future generations and the future of our earth that we are careful with the energy that we use each day, and this is why it’s important that we revolutionize to a world that is power-driven by things such as wind, solar, and geothermal energy.…