Polar bears and the troubles global warming is causing them is explained in the HuffPo article, "A Reminder On International Polar Bear Day" by Dr. Steven Amstrup. Amstrup is a chief scientist of Polar Bears International and in his article he emphasizes the need to reduce global warming. He uses high but familiar diction when discussing the problem: "We cannot control the natural variation in the climate system, but we can control the slope of the rising baseline." This relays that the author is serious about the topic and he wishes to include his audience in the knowledge it takes to understand the issue.
Amstrup's argument is strong in logos after he introduces the problem at hand; he informs that normal greenhouse gas levels keep the earth's temperature at a normal rate because "[natural levels of greenhouse gases], which don’t impede the short-wave radiation coming in, temporarily capture the outgoing long-wave radiation before releasing that energy back into space." He then goes on to say that humans are inputting too much carbon dioxide, which will "prolong retention of the sun’s heat before it escapes back into space." By explaining the real scientific occurrences in the atmosphere, Amstrup makes global warming real to the audience; This article's audience is educated young to old adults, and even in this group many do not know how global warming happens and therefore see it as a faraway fly of an issue that has no effect on them, but by explaining the scientific occurrences in the atmosphere that cause it, Amstrup makes global warming real to the audience. Throughout the article, Amstrup has a clear, earnest tone towards the topic. At one point he exclaims, "Denying that Earth’s average temperature must increase as CO2 levels rise would require a whole new explanation for why we have life on Earth!" This sentence represents his unwavering resolve: the world has a problem and it needs to be fixed. The author's purpose is clear: convince the audience to help reduce global warming by following the "Paris Climate Talks in 2015" or signing the Polar Bears International pledge. The main reason Amstrup's purpose is easy to follow is his bold statements- literally. Whenever he has an important point to make in his argument, he places it at the front of a paragraph and gives it bold letters. For example, he starts his fourth paragraph with a combination of polar bears and global warming: "Because the polar bear’s sea ice habitat literally melts as temperatures rise, the relationship between warmer temperatures and fewer polar bears is straightforward." This sentence is straightforward and easy for any audience to understand and empathize with, and not only does he relay his message well, but it is an important message to relay. Humans are destroying the planet and this is something that needs to be taken seriously. Amstrup's argument organization was flawless: first an introduction, then an explanation, followed by a counterargument, and finished off with a solution and a call to action. The counterargument is that "many people, including our policy leaders, have misled us by suggesting that a cold snap in Cleveland, or snow in Washington DC, is somehow inconsistent with the long-term trend of global warming." The author quells this viewpoint by asserting, "natural fluctuations in weather and climate will continue as always." This article has an effective argument; the only problem is the lack of citations. Amstrup has evidence, and though it is assumed that it came from his own knowledge, he does not cite any information. He is also somewhat obscure when posing solutions: the "Paris Climate Talks in 2015" are never explained. However, "A Reminder On International Polar Bear Day" is an impactful, interesting article and everyone should consider reading it. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/a-reminder-on-international-polar-bear-day_us_58b3465ee4b0e5fdf6197408?section=us_green
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