A Critical Analysis of “Why Global Warming Is a Controversial Issue’’

In the article, “Why Global Warming Is a Controversial Issue’’, written by S. George

Philander in his book, “Is the Temperature Rising? The Uncertain Science of Global Warming’’

he mainly discuss about two controversial issue that relate to global warming. First, the author

considers to debate the global warming will occur as recorded of globally fluctuation

temperatures to date. The other issue that the author would like to mention is whether the results

from computer models of the Earth’s climate can be trusted or not since this model have a lot of

disadvantages even the flaws has been upgrade.

The purpose of writing an article is a something that author wants to accomplish. In this

article, Philander write a controversial issue to inform the readers about the global warming. At

the same time, he tries to make the readers think the exact roles of scientist and political views in

solving the global warming problems. Besides, he also wants to discuss why the public people

put a poor trust to believe what this two authority decision. In the paragraph III and IV, the

author starts to mention about the poor judgment of political views in making the decision

although the scientist has alert them about this disaster. Because of political and scientist

uncertainties, then some people hard to put their trust and make false assumptions that global

warming will not occur someday.

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Intended audience means the people that the author has in mind as the readers. The first

intended audience for this article is public people. The author begins his article by focusing on

the public people by making the readers, or public people realize that global warming is not just

a theory and this will occur because of activities of human to the Earth. As already know, from

industrial and agricultural activities, people will get huge profits. But they do not realize from

their activities, they put themselves into hot water where something that unpleasant will happen

one day. In line 10, author stated that there are some people that not really concerned about what

will happen to their habitat by showing false impression about scientist researches about global

warming. Then, the author also focuses his writing to the specific group which is scientists and

political groups. The author asks this specific group, how long they will resolve their differences

and how much time they need to take action to prevent global warming occur.

In this article, Philander present a controversial issue and he not take a position in favor

certain side of the issue. In other words, the author not bias to one side only. From the beginning

of the article, paragraph I, II and III he support the public people where the global warming will

occur someday but they try to impasse this issue. There are nothing can be done because the

human activities that harm Earth and will cause global warming give them profits. At the same

time Philander also state in line 8, this is human nature where the human activities in developing

their country they will destroy their Earth by their own hand as they try to achieved their target.

After that, Philander take a position in scientist group, where he being natural in defends the

scientist roles. Public people do not accept what scientist said because the political views also

believed that scientist produce the forecast that not precise at all. Then, Philander said that, it’s

hard to make people accept it because the scientist does not have the authority to make decision

because they don’t get attention from the political group that can support their forecast.

The author than present ------- main idea from this article. In paragraph II line 10, he

stated that not all people can accept the global warming theory even though scientists are already

in a complete argument in alerting people about global warming and global climate change. But

due to the disagreement between scientist and political, it make people did not concern about the

upcoming of global warming until the experience themselves the effect of global warming.

Philander support his idea by giving a situation. He gives a rational situation that need the

readers imagine the given situation and relate it with the real problem.

The next main idea that he highlight in his article is although scientist has alert but

because of the poor judgment of the policy makers contribute to disaster. In paragraph III, line 25

he mentions it and this main idea was supported by historical data. Over a decade ago, scientist

has warned about the overfishing activities that may give a negative impact to New England and

eastern Canada area. Because of this poor judgment, the area now has a fisheries crisis that

affects the local people. Third main idea for this article is the author used word “we” to replace

he and other people are refusing the environmental problem because this things became

complicated when the scientist prediction is are uncertainties and difficult political decision are

necessary. Because of this mainly problem, the author make a wish that he willing to ask the

scientist to make a forecast that more precise so that the people can accept their prediction.

Unfortunately, the authors express the frustrated feeling that his wish is unrealistic.

In paragraph 5, the main idea the author states is the onset of the global warming cannot

be determine only by monitoring the temperatures on an annual basis. He explains this point by

giving a situation happen in Trenton N.J. where in the past February, the forsythia has started to

bloom and the intensity of sunshine has continued to increasing. But March nevertheless brought

some snow while even April was cool. This explains that the season cycle cannot be determined

by the monitoring temperatures on a daily basis and this is same as global warming.

In paragraph 6, the author states about the computer models that is designed to alert

people about the incoming of global warming that stimulate the Earth’s climate. But the models

have a lot of flaws that need to be considered because global warming phenomenon is too

complex make the model failed to capture some features. Because of this, scientist received

many critics even though they have sufficient confidence on these models. Once receiving the

critics, the scientist reexamination the assumptions made in the models. Earth’s climate is very

sensitive to small disturbances. In paragraph 7, the author use the word ‘we’ as the he is also

involved in the process of introducing a huge disturbance, a doubling of the atmospheric

concentration of carbon dioxide, a powerful greenhouse gas. Although the author states that they

are susceptible to decreases climate variations but they are persisting with their attempts.

In this article the author use a few types of support to strengthen his point of views.

Firstly is historical data which is in the line 24. He use the situation where New England and

eastern Canada experience the fisheries crisis due to the over-fishing decade ago has ruined the

communities near it. The writer wants to relate the situation happens in New England and

eastern Canada and global warming phenomenon is due to the poor judgment from the policy

makers make the matter become worse. The

The writer also uses a few examples to point out his idea. In paragraph 7, line59, he gives the

example of the Ice Age and in line 60, El Nino phenomenon.

As a conclusion, this article is