Global Warming
The term “global warming” describes a gradual increase in the average temperature of the Earth's atmosphere and its oceans, a change that is believed to be permanently affecting the Earth’s climate. Global warming occurs when carbon dioxide and other air pollutants and greenhouse gasses collect in the atmosphere and absorb sunlight and solar radiation that have bounced off the earth’s surface (MacMillan). Scientists agree that the earth’s rising temperatures are fueling longer and hotter heat waves, more frequent droughts, heavier rainfall, and more powerful hurricanes (MacMillan). Every one of the past 38 years has been warmer than the 20th century average. The 12 warmest years on record have occurred since 1998. The hottest year ever recorded for the contiguous United States occurred in 2012 (“Global Warming”). Globally, the average surface temperature has increased more than one degree Fahrenheit since the late 1800s. Most of that increase has occurred over just the past three decades. scientists learn more about the consequences of global warming, and many agree that environmental, economic, and health consequences are likely to occur if current trends continue. Global warming is already having significant effects and these consequences will only get worse as the planet’s temperature continues to rise. As temperatures rise, more rain falls during the heaviest downpours, increasing the risk of flooding events (“Global Warming”). Since global warming is accelerating the rate of sea level rise, coastal flooding risks are dramatically increasing, especially on the U.S East Coast and Gulf of Mexico. The rise in temperature is also causing wildfires to increase, therefore increasing wildfire season in the Western United States. Humans are the cause of global warming. We are overloading the atmosphere with carbon dioxide, which traps heat and steadily causes the planet’s temperature to rise. The fossil fuels we burn for energy, such as coal, natural gas, and oil, plus the loss of forests due to deforestation is the reason for so much carbon in our atmosphere. An overwhelming majority of climate scientists agree that global warming is happening and that human activity is the primary cause (“Global Warming”). Climate change has significant implications for our health, including increased air pollution and a longer and more intense allergy season. Unless we take immediate action to reduce global warming emissions, these impacts will continue to intensify, grow even more costly and damaging, and increasingly affect the entire planet, including us, our families, and our entire community.
Leonardo DiCaprio, an award-winning actor and a four-time Academy Award nominee, has been an outspoken advocate for environmental issues throughout much of his career (“Films and Career: Leonardo DiCaprio”). In 1998, at the age of 24, DiCaprio established his foundation with the mission of protecting the Earth’s last wild places and implementing solutions to build a more harmonious relationship between humanity and the natural world. Through grant making, public campaigns, and media projects, DiCaprio has worked to bring much-needed attention and funding to three focus areas — protecting biodiversity, ocean and forest conservation, and climate change (Films and Career: Leonardo DiCaprio”). In this speech, DiCaprio stated, “As an actor I pretend for a living. I play fictitious characters often solving fictitious problems. I believe humankind has looked at climate change in that same way: as if it were a fiction, happening to someone else’s planet, as if pretending that climate change wasn’t real would somehow make it go away.” I believe DiCaprio made the perfect comparison in this statement. He compared his career to global warming in order to make the audience know that global warming is not fiction, even though some people believe that is all it is. Being a strong believer, DiCaprio says that humans should know better than to think global warming is just fiction. To prove it is not fiction, DiCaprio gives the audience a list of new and undeniable climate events. He says, “None of this is rhetoric, and none of it is hysteria. It is fact. The scientific community knows it, Industry and governments know it, even the United States military knows it. The chief of the US navy’s Pacific command, admiral Samuel Locklear, recently said that climate change is our single greatest security threat.” Even though facts tend to be less engaging, they are the most effective. DiCaprio uses these effective facts to make his audience realize what is truly happening to our planet. The words he uses in this speech are straightforward and I believe they would make anyone be aware and start acting upon the subject. The message DiCaprio delivered in this speech is influential. It is influential because he is using his authority. By being a well-known actor and such a big person on the subject of climate change, DiCaprio uses ethos in his speech to engage his audience in the easiest way possible. I believe most people will agree with his statements because he builds on his credibility by saying things that will make his audience trust him.
Ian Somerhalder is an actor and environmentalist. He has been supporting environmental causes for many years and, in 2010, launched the Ian Somerhalder Foundation (ISF). The Ian Somerhalder Foundation makes up a large part of Ian’s philanthropic work, distributing funds and resources towards global environmental conservation, green energy development, deployment and educational tools. It also aims to create awareness about deforestation and supports efforts to end animal cruelty (“Ian Somerhalder – Actor and Enviromentalist”). During an interview, Somerhalder said, “The environment is in us, not outside of us. The trees are our lungs, the rivers are our bloodstream. We are all interconnected, and what you do to the environment ultimately you do to yourself.” Somerhalder started this quote with a metaphor, which I believe engages his audience and makes them thoroughly think about what he is trying to say. I think the strongest part of this quote is him saying “the trees are our lungs.” I believe this line sends a resilent message to his audience. Global warming is affecting our atmosphere, therefore affecting our trees and our carbon dioxide income. The line saying “what you do to the environment ultimately you do to yourself” also makes a strong statement about Somerhalder’s beliefs towards global warming. With this line, he is warning his audience that even the smallest things can harm our environment, even if it seems like they will not affect it at all. Somerhalder has a very strong, global social media presence and fan base across a broad demographic from teens to young adults (“Ian Somerhalder – Actor and Enviromentalist”). Using ethos as his rhetoric device and iven his popularity with youth, he is uniquely positioned to generate considerable support and publicity amongst his audience for UNEP’s messages and goals through organizing, leading, or engaging in activities specifically targeted to this audience. I believe Somerhalder’s views are correct and being a young adult I would definitely be on his side with his opinions on global warming.
In London, ten of the world’s biggest oil companies acknowledged that their industry must help address global climate change and said that they agreed with the United Nations’ goals of limiting global warming. The public declaration by a group called the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative was an effort to convince an increasingly skeptical world that energy companies, whose fossil fuels are a big source of greenhouse gases, are serious about delivering cleaner energy and combating climate change (Reed). The companies came up with a list of ways to increase energy efficiency and reduce emissions. They also said they would work with auto makers and consumers to improve vehicle fuel economy. Out of all the companies, Shell and Total have invested heavily in natural gas related businesses in recent years. They portray natural gas as a fossil fuel that produces fewer carbon emissions than oil, and much less than coal (Reed). Although many experts including people in the industry have doubts that these goals can be met, I believe that these companies can reach their goals. Shell and Total are two of the biggest, most well-known oil companies and this establishes their credibility. I believe since they have been so successful in the oil industry people will agree with their beliefs and start doing things to help them accomplish their goals.
There are several things we can do to help prevent more damage to our atmosphere. Humans should make small changes now in the way we live to avoid huge changes in the future. To overcome this threat, we should let individuals with authority to guide us in the path of saving our planet. Everyone’s opinion should be heard because there are so many views towards this subject. If we take everyone’s opinion into consideration, we should be able to make the world a better place.