Posted: December 7th, 2022

Global climate change is expensive and destabilizing

Overview:
Global climate change is expensive and destabilizing in the long-term, increasing costs for food and water, housing, and other goods and services, as well as likely increasing migration, conflicts, and associated suffering.

For reference, according to the World Bank Links to an external site., the 2005 US per-capita estimate was 19.5 metric tons per person. According to the World Bank, 2005 world average production was 4.2 metric tons per person, and 2018 world average production was 4.5 metric tons Links to an external site., and the global population is increasing. There is reason for concern. To address this, the Paris Accord proposes Net-zero GHG production by 2050, and the US has committed to a 50% reduction in GHG production by 2030 to attain this goal.

Without this change, GCC effects will continue to increase, with species loss, land loss, food production loss, heat waves, droughts, floods, and other extreme weather events.

Objective:
What can we do to reduce greenhouse gas production with personal benefits, or little or no cost, or (if possible) saving or making a bit of money as well?

VIDEO RESEARCH:
Watch Kiss the Ground, or another video on greenhouse gas reduction or carbon sequestration. Use it as part of your introduction to your paper. The idea is that different people have different abilities to respond to climate change, but all can do something. What did your video recommend? Is the reduction strategy proposed sufficient to stop global climate change in your opinion?

YOUR GREENHOUSE-GAS FOOTPRINT:
Estimate your (or your family’s) greenhouse gas production using the EPA carbon footprint calculator). this gives you a starting point. You will use this in your introduction.

GREENHOUSE GAS REDUCTION PLAN:
There are several categories of GHG production you could look at:

Local transportation
Work
Electricity
Natural Gas (heating)
Food
Clothing
Vacations
Personal Purchases
On your own, develop a few greenhouse reduction strategies for each of these categories that save you money, or cost little to nothing. I would like for you to write about each of the categories, developing two or more methods that work for you and reduces GHG production. (The internet has plenty of suggestions if you get stuck.)

PAPER FORMAT (PROMPT):
The prompt is simple:

Write a brief introduction. Use your video to describe the issue, and some responses discussed in the presentation. Describe why it would be beneficial to carry out such activities. (What are the costs of doing nothing, in terms of humans, cultures and the environment?) (10%)
Include an estimate of your greenhouse gas production using the EPA carbon footprint calculator). (10%)
Video Key Points: In your paper, introduce 5 or more key points from your watched video that you want to keep regarding greenhouse gas reduction or carbon sequestration (10%)
Greenhouse Reduction Ideas: In the body of your work, describe a total of 32 methods of reducing greenhouse gas production in each of the eight categories (4 methods per category) of GHG production listed above Make sure that each of the four activities or changes you propose for each category can be done now by you and make sense for you. If one of the categories does not apply to you, discuss four more items in other categories, and let me know that the category you skipped does not apply to you. Discuss each set of changes in your categories, each in its own paragraph, (5% each category 40% total) specifying:
what four (or more) methods of GHG reduction you might consider (for each category),
exactly how they reduce greenhouse gas production and
how they benefit you, save you money, or cost you very little to nothing to do.
You will have a few short paragraphs in the body, possibly one for each set of suggestions. In each paragraph, consider introducing a category description topic sentence, 4 methods (or more) and their benefits, and a concluding sentence in each paragraph. (Do not overburden yourself!)
In conclusion, present 5 methods you recommend. Using what you have outlined in the body, write (in a few sentences) a good pitch for doing five of the previously discussed changes that you consider most beneficial for you in GHG production reduction. (10%)
Cite any articles you used to support your work. Place citations immediately after your last consecutive reference for each source, in the paragraph that used the source. Use the APA citation method. In each citation. The general citation format is: (author, year, page#). (10%)
Provide a reference list for your cited work. (10%) Use the same APA citation method. In each citation, include:
The title of the article,
Who or what group wrote the work you used,
When it was printed, published, or (if online with neither of these two pieces of information) accessed,
The publisher or web host containing the information,
The URL (internet link) for the work, if accessed online.
If you spend more than two to three hours on this, you are likely working inefficiently. I am grading for content, not prose. You still need to make sure that you make sense though. I recommend that you be clear and concise.

This should be easy, but I recommend getting it out of the way early. (Later, most classes get busy!!!) Spend enough time to complete my simple assignments, while you have time, and then focus on the harder writing assignments in other classes. If you take more than 4 to 5 hours, and you are not yet done, you are likely working inefficiently, so please see me!

WRITING SUCCESS RESOURCES: PLEASE USE THEM TO HELP MAKE YOUR WORK BETTER!
Suggestion: Outline the prompt. Craft your answers. Determine your work is complete.
Example: Notes and Essay Response Example: COVID-19 (Good and Bad Responses)
APA Citation Basics by the Online Writing Lab at PurdueLinks to an external site.
APA Reference Basics by the Online Writing Lab at PurdueLinks to an external site.

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