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Writing Assignment 2

Writing Assignment 2 FYSE 1239 (Global Warming Solutions)

First draft due on Tuesday, September 30th by 5:00 PM (email to mlefrak AT middlebury.edu)

Final draft due on Wednesday, October 8th in class.

Parts 2 – 4 of Dire Predictions — Projections of Future Climate Change, The Impacts of Climate Change, and Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change – shed light on the world’s future: what may happen as greenhouse gas emissions accelerate.

Imagine that you are working for Ban Ki Moon, the Secretary General of the United Nations. He has asked you to write a 3-4 page (double-spaced) report on the following question: should we encourage our UN member countries to adapt to climate change, to try to mitigate climate change, or to do both?

Write a report intended for Secretary Moon and his staff that addresses this question, Your report should include properly documented references from at least five independent sources, one of which can be Dire Predictions. The evaluation of your report will be partially based on the credibility of your sources.

And here’s a link to get started with resources at the Middlebury library.

And see this helpful link: the 9 steps in the writing process.

Finally, a key link on style and citation

Is there a scientific consensus on anthropogenic climate change?

As class ended on Monday, we were presented with a hypothesis about the nature of the scientific consensus about anthropogenic climate change: many scientists feel that humans are the main cause behind recent global warming, but many scientists do not, and a large number are in the middle. (Jerry, please correct this hypothesis, as necessary: this is my paraphrase of what you stated ..)  Please come to class with evidence that either refutes or supports this hypothesis.

Wrapping up The Discovery of Global Warming

As noted on our schedule, please bring in on Monday (a) a good exam question that focuses on chapters 7-8 of Discovery and (b) the answer to your question.  And please post your question here (as a comment) before class so we can all get a sense of what we think is most important in the last part of this reading.

Writing Assigment 1: ‘What Can I Do to Fight Global Warming?”

You’re finishing an elevator ride with a stranger who has just heard your pitch about why she should care about global warming.  As the ride ends, she hands you her business card and says: “OK, you’ve convinced me that I should care.  Now I’ve got to run, but could you please send me an answer to my next question ‘What can I do to fight global warming?’”  And as she dashes off, she yells “And please, DON”t talk to met about better lightbulbs ….!”

For your first assignment, compose an answer for her.  Your answer should be succinct, no more than 600 words. It should also be authoritative, based on your developing expertise.   It certainly should be insightful: don’t bore her with ideas that she is likely to already know.  And finally, it must be a pleasure to read: dull writing rarely persuades.  AND PLEASE BRING IN 2 COPIES OF YOUR DRAFT.