NSI Script - Day 8
Return journals
- statement in AJP on overhead as journal starter
Last time tried to give you some overall background for addressing this issue. Big picture to keep in mind as you delve into the details. One other key point to note: - Notice that the amount of carbon in the total earth ecosystem is a fixed and finite quantity. What is now in fossil fuels was once in plants, which means it was once in the atmosphere before being absorbed by plants.
Assignment is meant to be as representative as possible about a public policy issue that comes up, which you’re concerned about (saving the salmon, bringing major league sports to Portland, light rail, whatever). How do you start from a mass-media awareness of an issue, and develop your information and understanding to the point that you can make good decisions and argue your case intelligently with others?
Comments about assignment:
Most of you will probably say that this looks like a potential problem, and we may want to do something about it. Try to go beyond that, to quantify what we should do. (When you vote on issues that involve global warming, you're not voting on whether you think it's a problem; you're voting on what you're willing to do about it.) Pretty much anything we do to reduce global warming will have a cost associated with it (jobs, standard of living, paychecks, other kinds of pollution, etc.). How big of a cost you're willing to pay will depend on how big you think the potential problems could be and how likely you think they are to actually occur. (Insurance analogy - how much you will pay for insurance depends on consequences and costs.) In your paper, include what you think our goals should be (how much to reduce what kinds of emissions, etc.) and an estimate of the costs associated with achieving those goals. (Note: Some of the skeptic sites have cost estimates.)
General Comments about Need for Critical Thinking on the Internet:
1. almost anyone can publish
2. often no editors
3. can't always tell who's writing it and what their credentials are
4. dates often aren't included
5. important to evaluate each page independently (links can take you anywhere)
I expect you to make a reasonable effort to make sure that the references that you are using are accurate. Look to see how well established the organizations and societies that are sponsoring the web site are. (Note that it's very easy to make something appear "established" on the Web.) Sites with an obvious agenda may be fine, but you may want to cross-check the information with another reference.
Articles available up here:
- Sci News
- 2 articles in AJP
Let’s go off and work on this stuff for awhile, let you dive into the details (can go to other labs if open), but meet back here at 11:20 to discuss what people have found, see if can isolate key questions need to answer. I suggest you focus first on these 4 questions:
- evidence for recent change in average T
- comparison to other changes in past
- information on possible consequences of continued T increase
- costs of mitigation strategies
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