Economics Homework Help
Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana Climate Change Discussion
As we saw in class, there is no uncertainty anymore about whether the Earth is warming or whether this is caused by human activity. The uncertainty about climate change comes from the fact that present day and near future CO2 concentrations had never been experienced since long before the dawn of humanity. We are about to be thrown into an environment where no human had ever been before. The uncertainty is about how high the temperatures will eventually increase, how fast this will be happening and how dire the environmental consequences will be. Similarly, scientists can predict the path and force of a hurricane approximately, though not exactly, leaving a “cone of uncertainty”. But simply denying that a hurricane is approaching or downplaying the need to seek shelter would be anti-science.
Can we predict exactly when the last glacier in Glacier National Park will have finished melting? No, of course not, we can only observe that substantial melting has already occurred, measure how fast this has happened, and predict within a statistical confidence interval how many more years it will take before the last glacier disappears. We can also predict how this will affect the flora and fauna in the surrounding area. Early predictions may turn out to be off by a number of years. As data accumulates and better models are built to simulate possible futures, the predictions get refined. This is how science works.
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I am asking you to think critically about the issue of climate change and to engage in a discussion with acquaintances and other students on this topic. Superficial comments that show no attempt at critical thinking are not acceptable, at least if you claim to be at university to learn anything. To help you get started, evaluate critically the following statement: “Admitting or not the reality of climate change is not a “difference of opinion.” It’s a matter of science vs those who reject science.” Then make as many persuasive arguments as you can about the issue of climate change and challenge any unfounded statements you have come across.
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