A Hot Debate

According to some speculation regarding global warming, parts of New York and India could be underwater by 2080. That’s in just 73 years. Some of us in college now will still be alive for that. That kind of startling fact is one reason that global warming is one of the few scientific topics that everyone seems to be at least mildly informed about, especially with all of the additional politics and controversy surrounding it. While most people (88% of Americans) acknowledge that the earth’s climate has changed significantly in a short period of time, there is not even universal agreement on whether or not global warming is even happening. And even if it could be agreed upon by everyone that global warming is indeed occurring, it would be nearly impossible to agree upon the cause or source of this climate change. There seems to be scientific evidence and opinion for every hypothesized explanation. Many students today are taught that the reason global warming has accelerated so quickly is due to human activities, such as burning more fossil fuels than ever before by driving gas-guzzling SUVs and wasting electricity. Most people who follow this line of thinking also believe that we can begin to counteract what we have already done or at least limit our damage for the future. This is the view presented by the article “Clock Watching: Time for a Change?” The author discusses the benefits of daylight savings because it will allow people to use less electricity which is “a marginal, but nonetheless welcome, step in the right direction” (par. 9). The evidence applied to this argument and others relies on the correlation between the recent hike in the amount of electricity and fuels of all kinds burned and temperature and precipitation changes. In 2006, around the nation, the warmest December in years was recorded. It has been an incredibly long time since such a widespread high temperatures were observed. This goes in the victory column for many of the scientists and members of the general public who feel that human actions are responsible for potentially disastrous global warming.

Scientists Nir Shaviv and Ján Veizer however offer another explanation based on the results of some of their most recent experimentations. In an article from GSA Today, the Geological Society of America’s online journal, they present their research and the theories behind it. They believe that the changes in the global climate is really due to changes in the natural course of the water cycle, which causes fluctuations in cloud cover and water vapor, which in turn alter the global climate. “…The water cycle is the thermostat of climate dynamics, acting both as a positive (water vapor) and negative (clouds) feedback, with the carbon cycle “piggybacking” on, and being modified by, the water cycle” (pg. 2). They reached these conclusions through a series of experiments that are a little too complex for this site, but if you are interested; the link above leads to the article which explains everything. If the cause is truly based on atmospheric conditions, then it makes sense that humans should not be alarmed into changing their ways of living. Because we didn’t actually cause global warming, then why should we be expected to fix it? Unfortunately this bit of research could end up being detrimental to the environment in other aspects. Global warming has been one of the warnings that have actually pushed some people to consider living more conservatively and responsibly, but many will give up these changes with the ‘happy’ news that they are not responsible for global warming.

But how does all of this global warming stuff relate to UNC? Well besides the fact that everyone feels the climate changes, Angela Spivey, the associate editor and writer of Endeavor magazine here in Chapel Hill, recently wrote an article about how recent discoveries of fossilized plankton shells have confirmed suspicions apart certain aspects of the global warming puzzle. Endeavor is a publication that has its publishing office here on UNC’s campus. This shows that at UNC we are well informed about scientific issues that affect us. Here at Carolina, our professors and leaders are truly devoted to educating us beyond the limits of the classroom. We are being helped to become well informed citizens who are properly concerned with the happenings around us in the world.

English 102 Course Website

Our English 102 class course website:

http://www.unc.edu/~dlupton/1207/

Here you can find the assignments we will respond to throughout the semester, as well as other class blogs.

Introductory Post

Sometimes, issues in the news may seem irrelevant to students living on campus at UNC. Face it; you can do nearly everything without setting foot off campus. Ram’s Head has become our favorite restaurant, gym, and grocery store. Because of this, our blog will show how issues in the news are relevant to students and faculty on campus.

As for the tone this blog will take, we envision a relatively loose stream of communication. Being college students, we see enough very structured writing, and we all are very appreciative of being able to say what we mean without all the formalities present in typical essays and term papers. We envision this being a site visited by alumni, potential and current students as well as the people in this class, and feel that this casual tone will help to attract and keep readers. We also think that if our blog is relatively casual it will probably encourage outside readers to share their thoughts and opinions, since they would not be intimidated by an exclusive feel. Now you can meet our writers/bloggers:

My name is Josh Kinard. I am from Greensboro, North Carolina. My interests include sports – mainly football, basketball, and soccer – music, cars, and politics. I try to find humor in all situations and am very laid back, rarely over-exaggerating issues. Hopefully my writing will reflect my attitudes towards life. I attempt to keep my writing mostly unbiased and appealing to all audiences on campus, but sometimes I let a small slant enter my writing. The only group I am involved in is Carolina Fever, not surprising considering my likely unhealthy obsession with all things sports-related. As for my major, I am a political science major, but I also am taking pre-med classes to leave my options open for the future.

My name is Joaquin and I am a freshman looking to go into business. I’m from Wilmington, NC and have lived there for about seven or eight years. I’m a cynic and am rather sarcastic, and it shows through in my writing every now and then. As far as campus recreation goes I am a member of CHispA that has yet to actually do anything, but I’m working on that. Seriously. I like to read and I also love music more than almost anything, and I’m really into the electronic (that’s techno) music scene here in Chapel Hill. I like to play with glow sticks a lot too, both on strings and freehand. That’s about all there really is to know about me.

I’m Helen Buchanan, a freshman Journalism major with a concentration on broadcasting from Lexington, NC. I absolutely love the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; I’m a true born and bred Tar Heel at heart. I love to dance! I danced with a company/academy in my hometown for 14 years and am currently dancing with Star Heels dance team on campus. I am also a jazz choreographer as well as preparing to be a tap choreographer with Star Heels. I love sports, especially Carolina Athletics, which is why my dream job is to be either a sidelines reporter for ESPN or have a sports anchorship on any ESPN program. I’m loud and outgoing, so I don’t mind speaking up or being blunt about the truth. I absolutely love the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; I’m a true born and bred Tar Heel at heart. To sum it up, I’m ready for the world, but the world might not be ready for me!

Hey guys, my name is Ellyn Bedi. I’m 18 years old from Cary NC, but originally from Collegeville PA. Since this blog is all about UNC and how it relates to different subjects, I guess I should tell you about what I do here in Chapel Hill. I’ve always been involved in sports, and that hasn’t changed here at Carolina. I’m a member of Carolina Fever, but unfortunately I’ve had to miss a lot of events because I’ve been at practices of my own. I’m currently on the novice rowing team, hoping to eventually become a full-fledged varsity rower. As of right now, I’m planning to major in Journalism (advertising), though I’m unsure of exactly what I want to do post graduation. I’ve always been more drawn to the liberal arts, and I love how music, art and words can connect to convey a particular message, so I’m hoping that those interests will be developed in my eventual career. I’m a relatively laid back person, and I think that will often be seen through my writing, but hopefully I’ll be able to keep up enough of an intellectual tone. I suppose that’s about all you need to know for now and hopefully you’ll really get to know me through reading what I post here.