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 Earths 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, its
hard to make people accept it because the scientist does not have the authority to make decision
because they dont 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 Earths 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. Earths 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