Points of View

HUM/115 Version 5

Points of View
HUM/115 Critical Thinking in Everyday Life

Points of View
HUM/115 Version 5

Climate change

Points of View
HUM/115 Version 5

Climate change has become one of the most important issues scientists try to research. It
reflects patterns of global weather, trends in air, humidity, temperature and precipitation.
(Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, 2015). It is commonly said that global warming is the
most fluent factor which affects temperature increase is human activity and caused by
accumulation of carbon dioxide which destroy layers of atmosphere. Thus, Sun heats the Earth
surface more actively; mainly, it occurs on the oceans. Some scientists claim that it may lead to
glaciers melting and, as a consequence, to the increase of the World Ocean level, as well as to
flooding of coastal territories. My opinion regarding ways of preventing global warming agrees
with scientists claim. Humanity has to reduce the level of carbon dioxide emissions, by
transition to electrical transport, using more environmental-friendly materials, changing fuel
exploited at industrial enterprises.

Comparison of articles

1.

Climate Change Mitigation Is More Important than Adaptation.

Joe Romm is a credible author. According to the Google Scholar, he has 75 citations, and

a number of articles written. Moreover, Romm holds a Ph.D. in physics from M.I.T. and
researched his thesis on physical oceanography at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
(Center for American Progress). He shows his character within the article, showing emotions in
some of the claims and strong critics to other authors, which is, perhaps, not very ethical.
Although the author is credible, I could not find citations of this work, moreover, a number of
claims and statistics described there are not supported by evidence, for example:

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Sea level rise of 80 feet to 250 feet at a rate of 6 inches a decade (or more).
Desertification of one third the planet and drought over half the planet, plus the loss of all
inland glaciers.
More than 70% of all species going extinct, plus extreme ocean acidification. ... (Romm,
Joe, 2013).
Therefore, I would say this article tend to be not credible and the message is not reliable.

2. Climate Change Adaptation Is More Important than Mitigation

The author, Marco Vischer, is a Dutch journalist based in Amsterdam. According to his
LinkedIn profile, he studied Sociology at the University of Amsterdam (Marco, V.). Internet
research resulted that he does not have many articles about climate. Thus, I would conclude that
the author is not credible. This article is also not cited in the Internet, however, the author support
his claims with appropriate evidence, and he shows ethics in the article, even when contradicting
to Joe Romm:
" According to Joe Romm, an influential climate change blogger, we will experience so
many extreme weather events that our capacity to adapt will be overwhelmed. "I think the
term 'adaptation' doesn't make it clear enough that it's going to be very hard," says Romm.
"I fear that what people describe as 'adaptation' is going to be a lot of suffering."
(Visscher, Marco, 2013).

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Therefore, I would make a conclusion that author is not credible, but the information is
reliable.
3. Reflect on your original opinion of your topic in at least 100 words. Consider the
following questions for your response:

Which of the two articles was more persuasive? Why?

Has your opinion changed after reading the articles? Why or why not?

What type of information and research would you need to change your opinion if it did
not change?
Actually, it is hard to say exactly which article was more persuasive. First article style is

more emotional, some claims are not supported by evidence and its author is credible and wellknowledgeable and well-cited. Even though the second article is contains more reliable
information, according to the criteria, the author is not very credible, he is not an expert in the
field of climate change. Thus, the first article seems to be more persuasive for me. Regarding this
question, by opinion hadnt changed after reading. My position is nothing is neither adaptation,
nor climate change mitigation is more or less important, they are both equally important. Though
we can not stop climate change it doesnt man we have to focus on its adaptation, we can also
retard it due to environmental-friendly activities. Perhaps, I some very credible academic paper
with credible author could change my opinion.

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References
"Climate Change." (2015). Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection. Detroit: Gale. Opposing
Viewpoints in Context. Web. 14 Mar. 2016. Retrieved from
http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/ReferenceDetailsPage/ReferenceDetailsWindow?
failOverType=&query=&windowstate=normal&contentModules=&displayquery=&mode=view&displayGroupName=Reference&limiter=&currPage=&disableHig
hlighting=true&displayGroups=&sortBy=&search_within_results=&p=OVIC&action=e
&catId=GALE%7CSEDTBT914110986&activityType=&scanId=&documentId=GALE
%7CPC3010999186&source=Bookmark&u=uphoenix_uopx&jsid=fcc3cc2a9327cc5799f
b1d53ef044d2c
Romm, Joe (2013). "Climate Change Mitigation Is More Important than Adaptation." Adaptation
and Climate Change. Ed. Roman Espejo. Detroit: Greenhaven Press. At Issue. Rpt. from
"The Adaptation Trap and the Nonskeptical Delayers (Like Roger Pielke)Part 1."
2009. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 14 Mar. 2016. Retrieved from
http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/ViewpointsDetailsPage/ViewpointsDetailsWindow?
failOverType=&query=&prodId=OVIC&windowstate=normal&contentModules=&displ
ayquery=&mode=view&displayGroupName=Viewpoints&dviSelectedPage=&limiter=&cu
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=&p=OVIC&action=e&catId=&activityType=&scanId=&documentId=GALE
%7CEJ3010847207&source=Bookmark&u=uphoenix_uopx&jsid=a012f50f9b0958bd7d
6c8a625635e49b
Visscher, Marco (2013).. "Climate Change Adaptation Is More Important than
Mitigation." Adaptation and Climate Change. Ed. Roman Espejo. Detroit: Greenhaven
Press. At Issue. Rpt. from "A Politically Incorrect Solution to Climate
Change." Ode (June 2011). Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 14 Mar. 2016.
Retrieved from
http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/ViewpointsDetailsPage/ViewpointsDetailsWindow?
failOverType=&query=&prodId=OVIC&windowstate=normal&contentModules=&displ
ayquery=&mode=view&displayGroupName=Viewpoints&dviSelectedPage=&limiter=&cu
rrPage=&disableHighlighting=&displayGroups=&sortBy=&zid=&search_within_results
=&p=OVIC&action=e&catId=&activityType=&scanId=&documentId=GALE
%7CEJ3010847206&source=Bookmark&u=uphoenix_uopx&jsid=b11329be56bd1c06c9
014130995ee380

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Center for American Progress. Joseph Romm. Senior Fellow. Retrieved from
https://www.americanprogress.org/about/staff/romm-joseph/bio/
Visscher, Marco. LinkedIn Profile. Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/in/visschermarco?
authType=NAME_SEARCH&authToken=1Xpo