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Connor Beatty

SS 10-1-141
2016-01-08
Mrs. Edgar

Source 1 is a cartoon image of an hourglass. A miniature Earth is in the top

half of the hourglass, and its falling through to the bottom half, turning into sand as

it does. The cartoon is very minimalistic, with the hourglass being the only object in

the cartoon. The background is shaded to make the hourglass look ominous, which

makes the cartoon look dark and eerie. This cartoon is visually explaining the

perspective that there are various problems on our planet, and that time is running

out. There are issues in different parts of the globe regarding child soldiers, child

labour, and female rights, which require us as individuals to take action. There are

also pressing issues of a possible pandemic or other global disease, which would be

difficult to combat. The Black Death, which was a devastating disease that spread

through Europe, could not be stopped because there was no known cure for the

disease. Another similar disease, such as the Avian Flu, could greatly affect

humanity today. Countries are having debates over topics such as water

privatization, resource sustainability, and climate change. The governments of these

countries have a responsibility to their citizens, and to the rest of the world to make

positive changes regarding these issues. Finally, on a global scale, there are an

enormous number of people in developing countries that are experiencing negatives

effects from globalization because of their countries economic situation. They can

no longer assist with other global issues because they are looking out for

themselves, and they do not receive adequate support from developed countries.

Overall, this source is suggesting that the world is experiencing a decrease in global

happiness, standard of living, and quality of life.


Connor Beatty
SS 10-1-141
2016-01-08
Mrs. Edgar
Source 2 is a newspaper advertisement from the Washington Post written by

a Canadian Politician. The Advertisement is for the Alberta Oil Sands, saying that

they are beneficial to the U.S. energy-wise, and economically. The advertisement

was published July 2nd, 2010. This source is illustrating the fact that while oil is an

unsustainable resource, we are still exploiting it to its capacity. It does however,

come with many plus sides. Because Alberta has a large oil source, selling it

increases our GDP. Because we trade with the U.S.A., it also improves our economic

relations by selling them oil. Due to our capitalistic society, and the fact that Alberta

is the largest source of oil in Canada, we can increase our profit. The fact that oil is

an unsustainable source connects with the issue of water privatization. Some

countries want to privatize water because it a resource in stress, and they can make

a profit off of it. Oil is also a resource in stress, and Canada is already making a

profit out of it. The human standard of living is quite dependant on the availability of

oil. We use it every day in our transportation, our homes and our work. Happiness

levels in Canada are also dependant on oil because it increases our national wealth.

This source is promoting internationalism, which means countries working together

to achieve a common goal. They are also encouraging foreign direct investment, in

the form of the U.S.A. buying oil from Canada.

Source 3 is a cartoon image showing a large house with a large amount of

smoke coming from the multiple chimneys. There is a vehicle on the driveway, with

a speech bubble coming from inside of it saying: I tell you, since we bought this

hybrid, I really feel were doing our part for the environment! The vehicle is very

small compared to the size of the house. There appears to be a sun-tanning area

above the garage of the house. This source is displaying the view that individuals
Connor Beatty
SS 10-1-141
2016-01-08
Mrs. Edgar
have a larger responsibility to the planet than they think. The person in the comic is

unaware of the actual size of their carbon footprint, believing that they have

reduced it by switching to a hybrid vehicle. The fact is that a hybrid vehicle does not

reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. It simply produces less CO2 than a

gas-powered vehicle. This environmental impact could even be considered small

compared to that of transnational corporations. Large companies produce even

more CO2 due to factories and multiple outlets. In developed countries, there is an

even higher production rate of CO2 than other areas of the world. This is because

wealthier communities such as those in the cartoon are not aware of their

contribution to climate change. These communities were also most likely built on

land that was previously inhabited by nature. This means that where there used to

be CO2-reducing trees, there are now rows upon rows of CO2-producing homes.

These three sources are related through the topic of climate change. Source 1

is shedding light to the fact the we are running out of time, source 2 is about oil,

which is one of the major contributing factors to global warming, and source 3 is a

satire about the size of individuals carbon footprints. Sources 1 and 3 would most

likely be supporters of the Kyoto Protocol, which is trying to reduce CO2 emissions.

Source 2 would most likely be opposed to that. Source 3 and 1 have the most

similar views in that they bring light to the responsibilities we humans have to our

planet. Source 2 and 3 are most related because they both relate to the topic of

fossil fuels and CO2, which are the main components of global warming.

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