Simple essay writing (250 words)

2. One source from the Excelsior College Library on your topic:

· Title: College Debt: The science of global warming and our energy future

· Date: 2009

· Author: Mathez, E. A., & Smerdon, J. E.

· URL for the source: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=584697&site=eds-live&scope=site

Example of APA format (optional): Mathez, E. A., & Smerdon, J. E. (2009). Climate change: The science of global warming and our energy future. New York: Columbia University Press. Retrieved from https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=584697&site=eds-live&scope=site

3. At least three interesting or troubling facts about the topic (in your own words) that come from your source listed above:

a. Carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels, deforestation, and land use are the biggest contributors to climate change.

b. If we don’t change our global energy production and consumption patterns, global mean temperate could increase up to 9 degrees Fahrenheit by sometime in the 21st century.

c. Renewable energy sources (wind, solar, geothermal, and biofuels) are growing, but in 2005 they accounted for only 2.2% of electricity consumed.

4. At least three questions you have about this topic and how it might impact the future of our society:

a. Why is climate change occurring?

b. Why do scientists and policy makers differ in their perspectives on climate change?

c. Why are we not doing more to combat climate change?

d. How much will climate change impact the Earth in 100 years?

e. How do nations differ in their approaches to combating climate change?

5. A short paragraph (approx. 200–250 words) reflecting on this process. Consider the following as you reflect: Why did you choose this topic? Do you think you have any biases toward a certain perspective on it? How will you try to minimize your own biases as you conduct research? Did you find it difficult to find a source or come up with facts and questions about your topic or to think about how this topic relates to the future?

I chose climate change because I am a Natural Sciences major and I thought it would be useful to learn more about it before it comes up in my other coursework. I think I am biased toward believing that climate change is a big problem in our society and that our politicians are not doing enough to address it. When I conduct research, I will look for sources that have differing perspectives on how severe climate change is as a problem, as well as sources that advocate different solutions to the problem. I will be mindful of sources that might be driven by an agenda, like those that might be funded by industries that contribute to climate change like fossil fuels. I did not find it difficult to come up with facts and questions about my topic because as a science-minded person I am curious about it. I found searching the library for a source to be very easy, however, there are a lot of books and articles about climate change, so the biggest challenge will be to narrow down my focus, so I am not overwhelmed by the sources. The book I found seems like a useful introduction to climate change, but it is from 2009 so the research may be too outdated. However, I did find it difficult to separate out my thinking about the current state of climate change versus the future of climate change. I think this is because they naturally impact one another, our inaction now may contribute to how bad climate change becomes in 10–100 years.