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Argumentative Essay Writing

Argumentative Essay About Climate Change

Make Your Case: A Guide to Writing an Argumentative Essay on Climate Change

Published on: Mar 2, 2023

Last updated on: Jul 21, 2023

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With the issue of climate change making headlines, it’s no surprise that this has become one of the most debated topics in recent years. 

But what does it really take to craft an effective argumentative essay about climate change? 

Writing an argumentative essay requires a student to thoroughly research and articulate their own opinion on a specific topic. 

To write such an essay, you will need to be well-informed regarding global warming. By doing so, your arguments may stand firm backed by both evidence and logic. 

In this blog, we will discuss some tips for crafting a factually reliable argumentative essay about climate change!

What is an Argumentative Essay about Climate Change?

The main focus will be on trying to prove that global warming is caused by human activities. Your goal should be to convince your readers that human activity is causing climate change.

To achieve this, you will need to use a variety of research methods to collect data on the topic. You need to make an argument as to why climate change needs to be taken more seriously. 

Argumentative Essay Outline about Climate Change

An argumentative essay about climate change requires a student to take an opinionated stance on the subject. 

The outline of your paper should include the following sections: 

Argumentative Essay About Climate Change Introduction

The first step is to introduce the topic and provide an overview of the main points you will cover in the essay. 

This should include a brief description of what climate change is. Furthermore, it should include current research on how humans are contributing to global warming.

An example is:

Paper Due? Why Suffer? That's our Job!

Thesis Statement For Climate Change Argumentative Essay

The thesis statement should be a clear and concise description of your opinion on the topic. It should be established early in the essay and reiterated throughout.

For example, an argumentative essay about climate change could have a thesis statement such as:

Climate Change Argumentative Essay Conclusion

The conclusion should restate your thesis statement and summarize the main points of the essay. 

It should also provide a call to action, encouraging readers to take steps toward addressing climate change. 

For example, 

How To Write An Argumentative Essay On Climate Change 

Writing an argumentative essay about climate change requires a student to take an opinionated stance on the subject. 

Following are the steps to follow for writing an argumentative essay about climate change

Do Your  Research

The first step is researching the topic and collecting evidence to back up your argument. 

You should look at scientific research, articles, and data on climate change as well as current policy solutions. 

Pick A Catchy Title

Once you have gathered your evidence, it is time to pick a title for your essay. It should be specific and concise. 

Outline Your Essay

After selecting a title, create an outline of the main points you will include in the essay. 

This should include an introduction, body paragraphs that provide evidence for your argument, and a conclusion. 

Compose Your Essay

Finally, begin writing your essay. Start with an introduction that provides a brief overview of the main points you will cover and includes your thesis statement. 

Then move on to the body paragraphs, providing evidence to back up your argument. 

Finally, conclude the essay by restating your thesis statement and summarizing the main points. 

Proofread and Revise

Once you have finished writing the essay, it is important to proofread and revise your work. 

Check for any spelling or grammatical errors, and make sure the argument is clear and logical. 

Finally, consider having someone else read over the essay for a fresh perspective. 

By following these steps, you can create an effective argumentative essay on climate change. Good luck! 

Examples Of Argumentative Essays About Climate Change 

Climate Change is real and happening right now. It is one of the most urgent environmental issues that we face today. 

Argumentative essays about this topic can help raise awareness that we need to protect our planet. 

Below you will find some examples of argumentative essays on climate change written by CollegeEssay.org’s expert essay writers.

Argumentative Essay About Climate Change And Global Warming

Persuasive Essay About Climate Change

Argumentative Essay About Climate Change In The Philippines

Argumentative Essay About Climate Change Caused By Humans

Geography Argumentative Essay About Climate Change

Check our extensive blog on argumentative essay examples to ace your next essay!

Good Argumentative Essay Topics About Climate Change 

Choosing a great topic is essential to help your readers understand and engage with the issue.

Here are some suggestions: 

• Should governments fund projects that will reduce the effects of climate change? 
• Is it too late to stop global warming and climate change? 
• Are international treaties effective in reducing carbon dioxide emissions? 
• What are the economic implications of climate change? 
• Should renewable energy be mandated as a priority over traditional fossil fuels? 
• How can individuals help reduce their carbon footprint and fight climate change? 
• Are regulations on industry enough to reduce global warming and climate change? 
• Could geoengineering be used to mitigate climate change? 
• What are the social and political effects of global warming and climate change? 
• Should companies be held accountable for their contribution to climate change? 

Check our comprehensive blog on argumentative essay topics to get more topic ideas!

We hope these topics and resources help you write a great argumentative essay about climate change. 

Now that you know how to write an argumentative essay about climate change, it’s time to put your skills to the test.

If you need some help getting started, try looking at some of the example topics and tips we’ve provided. And if you want to make sure your essay is in good hands, consider hiring one of our professional argumentative essay writers. 

At collegeessay.org, we have an expert essay writer who can help you craft a winning argument for any topic imaginable. 

So why wait? Get started today and see what our argumentative essay writing service can do for you!

Let our essay writing service help you get the grade you deserve.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a good introduction to climate change.

An introduction to a climate change essay can include a short description of why the topic is important and/or relevant. 

It can also provide an overview of what will be discussed in the body of the essay. 

The introduction should conclude with a clear, focused thesis statement that outlines the main argument in your essay. 

What is a good thesis statement for climate change?

A good thesis statement for a climate change essay should state the main point or argument you will make in your essay. 

You could argue that “The science behind climate change is irrefutable and must be addressed by governments, businesses, and individuals.”

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Opinion Today

We’ve failed our planet. this is an sos..

By Kathleen Kingsbury

Opinion Editor

This article also appears in the Opinion Today newsletter. You can sign up here to receive it in your inbox each weekday morning.

So many of the conversations about global warming focus on the direst consequences, projected far into the future: images of fires and floods on an increasingly uninhabitable planet if the governments of the world — and especially those of the United States, China and the other leading greenhouse gas emitters — fail to curb their use of fossil fuels. But the truth is that we are already living in a world that is being transformed by climate change. Every single country on Earth is feeling its effects — today.

That is the idea behind “Postcards From a World on Fire,” a major project from Times Opinion that published this morning . Last summer, as the COP26 meeting in Glasgow approached, we began work on what I envisioned as an expansive climate project that would draw on nearly every journalistic tool at our disposal. I wanted an assessment of where things stood from every country in the world and to make a bold argument for urgency. That call to action felt even more necessary as we watched the Glasgow summit come and go with high hopes and, ultimately, tepid actions.

A team of our journalists — led by Meeta Agrawal, Times Opinion’s special projects editor — has documented one way that climate change is having an impact in each of the 193 United Nations member states. It’s been a breathtaking effort to watch come together. Some of these stories may seem small, like an ancient drawing flaking off a cave wall in Indonesia; others are undeniably harrowing, like the stories of hungry people fleeing their homes in Guatemala; others may even seem hopeful, like the move toward building wooden skyscrapers in Norway.

But taken together, they tell a story about what we consider to be the most existential issue facing the planet today. As the video editorial that is at the core of this project says: “Open your eyes: We have failed. The climate crisis is now.”

We hope that you’ll spend time reading, watching and listening to this project. It showcases everything that Times Opinion journalism can do: There are audio dispatches from around the world, arresting photographs, personal videos, stunning graphic design and visual storytelling.

As this project makes clear , climate change is already underway. At this point, we can’t stop it. But we can all work to limit the damage. We must.

Kathleen Kingsbury is the Opinion editor of The New York Times, overseeing the editorial board and the Opinion section. Previously she was the deputy editorial page editor. She joined The Times in 2017 from The Boston Globe, where she served as managing editor for digital. She received the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for distinguished editorial writing. @ katiekings

The Center for Global Studies

Climate change argumentation.

Carmen Vanderhoof, Curriculum and Instruction, College of Education, Penn State

Carmen Vanderhoof is a doctoral candidate in Science Education at Penn State. Her research employs multimodal discourse analysis of elementary students engaged in a collaborative engineering design challenge in order to examine students’ decision-making practices. Prior to resuming graduate studies, she was a secondary science teacher and conducted molecular biology research. 

• Subject(s):  Earth Science
• Topic:  Climate Change and Sustainability
• Grade/Level:  9-12 (can be adapted to grades 6-8)
• Objectives:  Students will be able to write a scientific argument using evidence and reasoning to support claims. Students will also be able to reflect on the weaknesses in their own arguments in order to improve their argument and then respond to other arguments.
• Suggested Time Allotment:  4-5 hours (extra time for extension)

This lesson is derived from Dr. Peter Buckland’s sustainability  presentation for the Center for Global Studies . Dr. Peter Buckland, a Penn State alumnus, is a postdoctoral fellow for the Sustainability Institute. He has drawn together many resources for teaching about climate change, sustainability, and other environmental issues. 

While there are many resources for teaching about climate change and sustainability, it may be tough to figure out where to start. There are massive amounts of data available to the general public and students need help searching for good sources of evidence. Prior to launching into a search, it would be worthwhile figuring out what the students already know about climate change, where they learned it, and how they feel about efforts to reduce our carbon footprint. There are many options for eliciting prior knowledge, including taking online quizzes, whole-class discussion, or drawing concept maps. For this initial step, it is important that students feel comfortable to share, without engaging in disagreements. The main idea is to increase students’ understanding about global warming, rather than focus on the potential controversial nature of this topic.

A major goal of this unit is to engage students in co-constructing evidence-based explanations through individual writing, sharing, re-writing, group discussion, and whole group reflection. The argumentation format presented here contains claims supported by evidence and reasoning (Claims Evidence Reasoning – CER). Argumentation in this sense is different from how the word “argument” is used in everyday language. Argumentation is a collaborative process towards an end goal, rather than a competition to win (Duschl & Osborne, 2002). Scientific argumentation is the process of negotiating and communicating findings through a series of claims supported by evidence from various sources along with a rationale or reasoning linking the claim with the evidence. For students, making the link between claim and evidence can be the most difficult part of the process.

Where does the evidence come from?

Evidence and data are often used synonymously, but there is a difference. Evidence is “the representation of data in a form that undergirds an argument that works to answer the original question” (Hand et al., 2009, p. 129). This explains why even though scientists may use the same data to draw explanations from, the final product may take different forms depending on which parts of the data were used and how. For example, in a court case experts from opposing sides may use the same data to persuade the jury to reach different conclusions. Another way to explain this distinction to students is “the story built from the data that leads to a claim is the evidence” (Hand et al., 2009, p. 129). Evidence can come from many sources – results from controlled experiments, measurements, books, articles, websites, personal observations, etc. It is important to discuss with students the issue of the source’s reliability and accuracy. When using data freely available online, ask yourself: Who conducted the study? Who funded the research? Where was it published or presented? 

What is a claim and how do I find it?

A scientific claim is a statement that answers a question or an inference based on information, rather than just personal opinion.               

How can I connect the claim(s) with the evidence?

That’s where the justification or reasoning comes in. This portion of the argument explains why the evidence is relevant to the claim or how the evidence supports the claim.

Implementation

Learning context and connecting to state standards.

This interdisciplinary unit can be used in an earth science class or adapted to environmental science, chemistry, or physics. The key to adapting the lesson is guiding students to sources of data that fit the discipline they are studying.

For  earth science , students can explain the difference between climate and weather, describe the factors associated with global climate change, and explore a variety of data sources to draw their evidence from.  Pennsylvania Academic Standards  for earth and space science (secondary): 3.3.12.A1, 3.3.12.A6, 3.3.10.A7.    

For  environmental science , students can analyze the costs and benefits of pollution control measures.  Pennsylvania Academic Standards  for Environment and Ecology (secondary): 4.5.12.C.          

For  chemistry  and  physics , students can explain the function of greenhouse gases, construct a model of the greenhouse effect, and model energy flow through the atmosphere.   Pennsylvania Academic Standards  for Physical Sciences (secondary): 3.2.10.B6.      

New Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Connections

Human impacts and global climate change are directly addressed in the NGSS.  Disciplinary Core Ideas  (DCI): HS-ESS3-3, HS-ESS3-4, HS-ESS3-5, HS-ESS3-6.     

Lesson 1: Introduction to climate change

• What are greenhouse gases and the greenhouse effect? (sample answer: greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane contribute to overall heating of the atmosphere; these gases trap heat just like the glass in a greenhouse or in a car) 
• What is the difference between weather and climate? (sample answer: weather is the daily temperature and precipitation measurements, while climate is a much longer pattern over multiple years)

Drawing of the greenhouse effect  – as individuals or in pairs, have students look up the greenhouse effect and draw a diagram to represent it; share out with the class

• Optional: figure out students’ beliefs about global warming using the Yale Six Americas Survey (students answer a series of questions and at the end they are given one of the following categories: alarmed, concerned, cautious, disengaged, doubtful, dismissive).

Lesson 2: Searching for and evaluating evidence

• Compare different data sources and assess their credibility
• Temperature
• Precipitation
• Storm surge
• Ask the students to think about what types of claims they can make about climate change using the data they found (Sample claims: human activity is causing global warming or sea-level rise in the next fifty years will affect coastal cities like Amsterdam, Hong Kong, or New Orleans).

Lesson 3: Writing an argument using evidence

• Claim – an inference or a statement that answers a question
• Evidence – an outside source of information that supports the claim, often drawn from selected data
• Reasoning –  the justification/support for the claim; what connects the evidence with the claim
• Extending arguments –  have students exchange papers and notice the strengths of the other arguments they are reading (can do multiple cycles of reading); ask students to go back to their original argument and expand it with more evidence and/or more justification for why the evidence supports the claim
• Anticipate Rebuttals  – ask students to think and write about any weaknesses in their own argument

Lesson 4: Argumentation discussion  

• rebuttal  – challenges a component of someone’s argument – for example, a challenge to the evidence used in the original argument
• counterargument  – a whole new argument that challenges the original argument
• respect group members and their ideas
• wait for group members to finish their turns before speaking
• be mindful of your own contributions to the discussion (try not to take over the whole discussion so others can contribute too; conversely, if you didn’t already talk, find a way to bring in a new argument, expand on an existing argument, or challenge another argument)  
• Debate/discussion  – In table groups have students share their arguments and practice rebuttals and counterarguments
• Whole-group reflection  – ask students to share key points from their discussion

Lesson 5: Argumentation in action case study

Mumbai, india case study.

Rishi is a thirteen year old boy who attends the Gayak Rafi Nagar Urdu Municipal school in Mumbai. There is a massive landfill called Deonar right across from his school. Every day 4,000 tons of waste are piled on top of the existing garbage spanning 132 hectares (roughly half a square mile). Rishi ventures out to the landfill after school to look for materials that he can later trade for a little bit of extra money to help his family. He feels lucky that he gets to go to school during the day; others are not so lucky. One of his friends, Aamir, had to stop going to school and work full time after his dad got injured. They often meet to chat while they dig through the garbage with sticks. Occasionally, they find books in okay shape, which aren’t worth anything in trade, but to them they are valuable.

One day Rishi was out to the market with his mom and saw the sky darken with a heavy smoke that blocked out the sun. They both hurried home and found out there was a state of emergency and the schools closed for two days. It took many days to put out the fire at Deonar. He heard his dad say that the fire was so bad that it could be seen from space. He wonders what it would be like to see Mumbai from up there. Some days he wishes the government would close down Deonar and clean it up. Other days he wonders what would happen to all the people that depend on it to live if the city shuts down Deonar.

Mumbai is one of the coastal cities that are considered vulnerable with increasing global temperature and sea level rise. The urban poor are most affected by climate change. Their shelter could be wiped out by a tropical storm and rebuilding would be very difficult.

Write a letter to a public official who may be able to influence policy in Mumbai.

What would you recommend they do? Should they close Deonar? What can they do to reduce air pollution in the city and prepare for possible storms? Remember to use evidence in your argument.  

If students want to read the articles that inspired the case study direct them to: http://unhabitat.org/urban-themes/climate-change/

http://www.bloomberg.com/slideshow/2012-07-06/top-20-cities-with-billions-at-risk-from-climate-change.html#slide16

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-26/smelly-dumps-drive-away-affordable-homes-in-land-starved-mumbai

http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/05/asia/mumbai-giant-garbage-dump-fire/

Resources:    

• Lines of Evidence  video  from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine  http://nas-sites.org/americasclimatechoices/videos-multimedia/climate-change-lines-of-evidence-videos/  
• Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network  (CLEAN) 
• Climate maps  from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
• Sources of data from  NASA
• Explore the original source of the  Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences (PNAS) study

Differentiated Instruction

• For visual learners – use diagrams, encourage students to map out their arguments prior to writing them
• For auditory learners – use the lines of evidence video
• For ESL students – provide them with a variety of greenhouse gases diagrams, allow for a more flexible argument format and focus on general meaning-making – ex. using arrows to connect their sources of evidence to claims
• For advanced learners – ask them to search through larger data sets and make comparisons between data from different sources; they can also research environmental policies and why they stalled out in congress 
• For learners that need more support – print out excerpts from articles; pinpoint the main ideas to help with the research; help students connect their evidence with their claims; consider allowing students to work in pairs to accomplish the writing task 

Argument write-up  – check that students’ arguments contain claims supported by evidence and reasoning and that they thought about possible weaknesses in their own arguments. 

Case study letter  – check that students included evidence in their letter.

References:

Duschl, R. A., & Osborne, J. (2002). Supporting and promoting argumentation discourse in science education.

Hand, B. et al. (2009) Negotiating Science: The Critical Role of Argumentation in Student Inquiry. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

McNeill, K. L., & Krajcik, J. (2012). Claim, evidence and reasoning: Supporting grade 5 – 8 students in constructing scientific explanations. New York, NY: Pearson Allyn & Bacon.

Sawyer, R. K. (Ed.). (2014). The Cambridge handbook of the learning sciences. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.

https://www3.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/basics/today/greenhouse-gases.html

http://unhabitat.org/urban-themes/climate-change/

Argumentative Essay on Climate Change

Jump ahead to:

Climate change refers to the changing global environment. Many internal and external forces have contributed to this. Climate change has become a global problem in the last few decades. Besides, these climate changes are affecting life on earth in various ways. These climate changes have different effects on the ecosystem and ecology. As a result of these changes, many plants and animals have become extinct.

When Did Climate change Start?

The climate began to change long ago because of human activities, but we knew it 100 years ago. Over the last century, we have come to appreciate climate change and its impact on human life. We began researching climate change and eventually learned that the earth’s temperature rises because of the so-called greenhouse effect. Global warming is causing more ozone depletion, affecting our agriculture, water supply, transportation, and a host of other problems.

The Reason for Climate Change

Although there are hundreds of reasons for climate change, we will only discuss the natural and human (human) causes.

Natural Causes

These include volcanic eruptions, sunlight, tectonic plate movements, orbital diversity. As a result of these activities, the environment becomes more and more dangerous for life. Also, these activities raise global temperatures to a large extent causing environmental inequality.

People’s Reasons

Man, because of his need and greed, has done many works that harm the environment and himself. Many species of plants and animals have become extinct due to human activities. Harmful human activities include deforestation, natural oil, industrial waste, various forms of pollution, and much more. All of these factors adversely affect the climate and the ecosystem. And many species of animals and birds became extinct or threatened with extinction due to hunting.

Effects of Climate Change

The environment is suffering as a result of these climate changes. Sea level rises, glaciers melt, CO2 emissions increase, forests and wildlife decline, and climate change disrupt water quality. Besides, it is calculated that if this change continues, many species of plants and animals will become extinct. There will be substantial environmental consequences as well.

What will the future be like?

If we do nothing and things continue right now, there will come a day when people will disappear from the face of the earth. But instead of ignoring the problems, we are beginning to address when we can save the world and our future.

Although human error has caused much damage to the climate and ecosystem, it is not too late to start again and try to undo what we have done so far to harm the environment. And when everyone begins to contribute to the environment, we can be confident of our future existence.

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Free Argumentative Essay About Climate Change

Type of paper: Argumentative Essay

Topic: Environmental Issues , World , Climate , Development , Climate Change , Temperature , Warming , Global Warming

Words: 1300

Published: 02/20/2023

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Introduction

Climate Change in a global issue that has started to become highly politicized between people who are concerned with it and the deniers. In 2012, the George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication and the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication published a survey, which revealed that 66 percent of the American population believes that global warming is a reality and 42 percent are concerned that global warming will have negative consequences in the next ten years. 45 percent of the American population believes that Americans will face the wrath of climate change in the next five decades and only 16 percent believe that global warming will have no impact on America. Whether it is called climate change, global warming, or global cooling; everyday more and more people are taking either joining the climate change bandwagon or denying it, making it one of the hotly debated issues in the world (Tuthill, 2013).

For Climate Change

Most of the scientists that are arguing that climate change is real, base their argument on their interpretation on changes in the ocean level and gases in the earth’s atmosphere. These scientists believe that changes in temperature can be documented and the primary evidence is based on temperature rise detection and the effect atmospheric gas increase has on the environment of Earth. Those who strongly claim Climate Change is real base it on:

Rise in Sea Level

In many areas of the world, a rise in sea level has been witnessed. This is partially based on the melting of glaciers and ice caps, and more on the changes in the sea based gases. In the last decade alone, the mean sea levels globally have been doubled in comparison to the trend of 1.6 mm throughout the 20th century. In the last century, the global sea levels have risen about 6.7 inches. Such a rise is an example of the increased sea levels through climate change in the country (Rinkesh, 2016).

Rise in the Average Temperature of Earth

There has been a considerable rise in the earth’s temperature over the last 100 years and every year the temperature rise is further enhanced. Since 1800s, tracking the global atmospheric temperature has made scientists to identify that the temperature went through a strong period of increase in 1970s, decrease in the 1990s and it has been increasing after the turn of the 21st century (Rinkesh, 2016).

Rise in the Ocean Temperature

With the increased number of industries and vehicles the level of greenhouse gases trapped in the earth’s atmosphere has increased. The increase of atmospheric heat has been absorbed by water bodies such as Oceans. Over 50 years of the temperature records of Oceans reveal that there has been a steady increase in Ocean temperature since 1969 (Rinkesh, 2016).

Shrinking Glaciers

Several mountain ranges, especially in Antarctica and Greenland have been decreasing due to the reduction of gases important for maintaining temperatures. NASA conduced Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment that revealed Greenland lost around 36-60 Miles3 of ice annually between 2000 and 2006 (Rinkesh, 2006).

Ocean Acidification

Acid levels in the oceans are also increasing that are increasing the level of heat in the water level. This is happening due to the emission of harmful gases in the earth’s atmosphere by humans that gets absorbed by the oceans. The result is that an increase of mass fish deaths and algae blooms, in addition to the changes in the chemical composition of ocean water (Rinkesh).

Against Climate Change

Few people, especially Conservatives and Republicans in the United States of America present their side of the story denying Climate Change. To draw their conclusion, the deniers of climate change always provide the same evidence to make their point. They look at the evidence that is avoided in other arguments over climate change. These deniers have a strict understanding of global warming as increased temperature in the atmosphere; they avoid the precursors as valid evidence. Some of the claims are:

No Prolonged and Significant Changes in Temperature

According to the deniers since 1997, there have not been any major or prolonged temperature changes. The increase in temperature was started in 1975 and ended in 1997. Since, then the temperature has continually been flat since then and it proves that temperature change is not a serious concern at this moment (Rinkesh, 2016).

Non Availability of Enough Historical Data

Lack of consensus among scientists is also used as a tool for denying global warming. Advocates call that in a gathering of 31,000 scientists who specialize in environmental studies failed to reach a consensus on the issue of global warming. Since, all scientists still cannot agree on the issue and consensus has not been reached, it provides deniers the opportunity to maintain their stance (Rinkesh, 2016).

Increase in Arctic Ice by 50 Percent Since 2012

In the year 2012, according to reports, Artic Ice increased by 50% in volume, which is a strong argument against global warming. This form of increase works as an evidence for global cooling of earth’s atmosphere and possible increase in the temperature. It works as a proof of denying the claims of global warming advocates through hard evidence (Rinkesh).

Climate Models are Unreliable

The calculations used in climate models for predicting the impact of global warming have turned out to be flawed that means the long-term predictions made by environmentalists over climate change should be irrelevant. Few scientists and climate change deniers have argued that increases in the global temperatures are caused by natural climate shift (Rinkesh, 2016).

Wrong Early Predictions

The early predictions concerning the impacts of warming have turned to be wrong. Advocates promoting arguments against global warming claims point out that several days have gone by as early predictions have turned out to be false. For instance: Al Gore predicted that Ice from Arctic would disappear by the year 2013. But, the results have been completely different has Artic Ice increased to 50 percent in 2012 (Rinkesh, 2016).

Climate Change is a global issue that has become highly important over the past few years. There are many people who have claimed that climate change is a very important issue and needs to be handled with immediate action, whereas opponents believe that most of the claims made for climate change are hearsay and there is no contextual evidence or consensus among the scientific community over the issue. There are advocates and proponents of climate change who believe that climate change is real and the impact can be seen in rising sea level, rising temperature, rising ocean temperature, ocean acidification and shrinking glaciers throughout the world. Similarly, the opponents and advocates against climate change have their own claims such as no major temperature change since 1997, insignificant data, increased Arctic ice, unreliable climate models and wrong early predictions to prove that climate change is unrealistic.

Reference List

Meyer., W. (9 February 2012). Understanding the Global Warming Debate. Available: http://www.forbes.com/sites/warrenmeyer/2012/02/09/understanding-the-global-warming-debate/#5068a95560cf. Last accessed 9 March 2016. Nuccitelli., D. (6 May 2014). The top ten global warming 'skeptic' arguments answered. Available: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2014/may/06/top-ten-global-warming-skeptic-arguments-debunked. Last accessed 9 March 2016. Rinkesh. (2016). Is Global Warming Real?. Available: http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/is-global-warming-real.php. Last accessed 9 March 2016. Tuthill., S. (14 May 2013). Tilting at Windmills: Arguments for and Against Climate Change. Available: http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/an-interpretation-of-data-argu/12036797. Last accessed 9 March 2016.

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Home / For Educators: Grades 6-12 / Climate Explained: Introductory Essays About Climate Change Topics

Climate Explained: Introductory Essays About Climate Change Topics

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Climate Explained, a part of Yale Climate Connections, is an essay collection that addresses an array of climate change questions and topics, including why it’s cold outside if global warming is real, how we know that humans are responsible for global warming, and the relationship between climate change and national security.

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Climate Action

6 arguments to refute your climate-denying relatives this holiday.

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• 6 arguments to refute…

December 20, 2021

We all seem to have that one relative who denies climate change (and loudly) at the dinner table — the one who points to snow on the ground in November to disprove global warming, calls climate change an international hoax or insists climate change is part of “the natural planetary cycles.”

It may seem futile to argue with these family members — you could say anything to them, read them every landmark climate report backed by thousands of scientists , and they still won’t change their minds.

But engaging in this sort of respectful discourse with nay-saying climate deniers — even if your uncle blindly disputes every point you make — is a step in the right direction. Our job as environmental activists (or even just someone who cares about our collective future) is to squelch anti-science rhetoric as we encounter it. Not to do so could mean backpedaling on so much of the progress that scientific research has advanced.

… Or maybe you’re just in the mood to argue. Whatever inspires you to myth-bust this holiday season, here are six ways to respond to your family’s climate-denying comments. In the most respectful, loving way, of course:

1. Uncle Frank says, “Climate change is natural and normal — we’ve seen fluctuations throughout history.”

You say: The Earth has been through a lot in the last 4.5 billion years. And yes, high levels of carbon dioxide have been released naturally in the Earth’s history. Scientists have attributed mass extinctions to atmospheric carbon dioxide from 580 million years ago , long before humans were around to burn ridiculous amounts of fossil fuels.

What we’re experiencing with climate change today, however, is far different than any warming or cooling humanity has seen — in rate and in scale. Our present climate change is occurring 20 to 50 times faster than the most rapid climate change events in Earth’s history.

That some of the world’s mass extinctions have been tied to CO2 shouldn’t be a relief, though; it should be a wakeup call. Unlike in the past, we are the ones doing the damage (through the out-of-control burning of fossil fuels), not the Earth.

The good news is it’s entirely within our control to phase out fossil fuels and avoid the most devastating impacts of unchecked climate change. We don’t have to be dinosaurs, and we definitely should stop burning them.

By providing my phone number, I understand that Earth Day Network and its affiliates, service providers and non for profit partner organizations may use automated calling technologies and/or text message me on my cellular phone on a periodic basis. Earth Day Network will never charge for text message alerts. Carrier message and data rates may apply to such alerts. Text STOP to stop receiving messages.

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2. When your cousin Wilma says, “Scientists can’t even agree that climate change is happening.”

You say: Well, actually…   99 percent  of scientists agree that climate change is happening  and  that humans are the primary cause.

To put this into perspective, we are more sure that humans are causing climate change than we are that smoking causes cancer.

Perhaps you’re thinking of indecisive politicians, many of whom are backed by the fossil fuel industry. Maybe that’s why leaders are still dragging their feet when it comes to climate action — or worse, vocally denying its existence in the face of rigorous scientific report , after report , after report .

The truth is politicians have known about climate change since ( at least ) the 1980s and fossil fuel companies have known about it since the 1960s . But leaders in the highest-emitting countries are doing next to nothing to slow climate change, let alone stop it.

3. Grandpa says, “It’s so cold outside. Sure could use some of that global warming.”

You say: Weather and climate are two different things. Weather fluctuates from day to day, while climate is defined by long-term trends and weather averages.

So, just because it’s cold right now doesn’t mean global warming isn’t happening. The last seven years have been the hottest seven years on record , and that’s counting the bitter polar vortexes that have driven Arctic air down across North America during that period.

The Earth is on track to warm up to two degrees Celsius this century, but winter’s not going to disappear altogether in many parts of the world. Record low temperatures will just become rarer.

The U.S. saw nearly as many record highs as record lows in the 1950s. By 2000, the number of record highs  was double the record lows . And, as the cold becomes rarer,  it will feel more intense  and hit unexpecting places.

And while you might not lose your winter altogether, unchecked climate change will bring other major weather shifts, in the form of extreme weather events like drought, wildfire, and hurricanes that will become more frequent and more intense in our warming world.

So, bundle up and brace yourself for the extreme weather climate change brings — including the intense cold.

4. Your mom says, “Plants and animals will adapt to the changes.” ( Mom, stop embarrassing me!)

You say: Climate change is occurring too rapidly to allow for species to adapt. And this is about more than the pictures of starving polar bears you see on Facebook (sorry, Mom).

Climate change threatens over 40 percent of amphibians, nearly 33 percent of corals, and more than a third of marine mammals. At this point, with climate change not even at its fullest force, more than one million species are at risk of extinction . Estimates show that dozens of species go extinct every day .

This is because climate change is compounding the effects of other already-existing detrimental human activities like overfishing and deforestation.

A U.N. report published in 2019 ranked the top five direct drivers of the disappearance of species. Climate change was third, behind changes in land and sea use and overexploitation of organisms (all human-caused).

Currently, species are going extinct at 1,000 times the natural rate of extinction. That means we could lose 30 to 50 percent of the total species found on Earth by mid-century . Can you pass the cranberry sauce?

5. Uncle Frank is back at it: “Climate change is a good thing.

You say: Hold my eggnog.

For many reasons — economic, environmental, physiological — climate change will have a net negative impact on the world. Research even shows we’ve significantly underestimated the financial risks of climate change around the world.

The United States stands to lose billions of dollars , second only to India in terms of the negative economic impact. In our warming world, U.S. estimates currently sit at a loss of one to four percent of its GDP each year by 2100.

But enough with the economic hypotheticals. We’re already seeing how dangerous climate change is to plants and animals as well as humans .

Higher temperatures have  increased heat-related deaths . Higher temperatures also worsen  air quality , which scientists have connected to everything from  more violent crimes  to more cancers.

But what’s just as scary are the statistics on natural disasters: Hurricanes are reaching new extremes — with the number of categories 4 and 5 increasing over the  last 30 years . Wildfires, too, are claiming larger burn areas and  increasing in intensity .

What’s so great about that?

6. Your stepdad says, “It won’t affect me or anyone I know.”

You say: Climate impacts are already here and now, and they will only get worse if we continue to do nothing. Climate change affects individuals disproportionately, hurting the poorest and most vulnerable communities worse than others, so you may just be feeling a buffer from your comparative privilege.

Climate justice recognizes that climate change isn’t just a physical problem — it’s an ethical one, too. The individuals and communities who will be most affected by climate change are the ones contributing the least to it.

But this is also a generational issue — you may not have to bear the brunt of our collective inaction on climate change, but let’s try to have some empathy for future generations (even if you don’t understand TikTok or selfies).

Your great grandchildren — who are currently on track to inherit a world four degrees warmer than yours and feel its effects at  every stage of their life  — will have to clean up the mess your generation made in their fight for survival.

They’ll grow up in a world with more  air pollution , more vector-borne diseases, and more extreme weather events to deal with.

The future of humanity is on the line

In conclusion, you can’t choose your family, but you can try to change their mindsets on climate change. Some of these arguments may stick; some may go in one ear and out the other.

These conversations aren’t easy, but we should try to engage in them when we can. After all, the future of humanity is on the line.

Perhaps if you convince them, your newly informed, ex-climate-denying relatives will even take action for Earth Day in 2022. That action — whether it’s participating in a cleanup , having a plant-based meal , or attending a teach-in — can help put us on a course to a greener, more sustainable future.

And if that happens, you’ll definitely have something interesting to talk about next holiday.

This blog was originally published on November 25, 2019 and updated on December 20, 2021.

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Global Warming Argumentative Essay

Introduction

Climate change is now a big global issue. There is an increasing amount of evidence that show the gradual decrease in the state of the climate. Global warming is by far the major aspect that is blamed to be causing climate change. Global warming is described as the increase of the overall temperature on earth. This phenomenon has had considerable effects on the climate in several parts of the world. Global warming has several scientifically proven causes ranging from tectonic movements, green house gases and atmospheric conditions.

Global warming is a phenomenon that occurs in a very interesting way. When the sun produces rays, some of it is trapped within the earth’s atmosphere. This retained heat, when in the right quantity, is good for survival of the living organisms on earth. But when too much of this heat is retained, it causes warming and this is what leads to climate change. The atmosphere is the layer of gases surrounding the planet earth. (Heler & Zavaleta, 2009). These gases are the ones required for survival by most living organisms. However, some of these gases have a ‘blanket’ effect on the earth. They prevent the heat from leaving the earth thus causing an increase in temperatures across the globe. These gases have been popularly known as the ‘green house gases’. The name was derived from the fact that these gases make the earth’s atmosphere behave like that of a green house. The green house gases include carbon IV oxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone and the hydrocarbons. Most of these gases are released into the atmosphere by burning of fossil fuels, exhaust fumes from locomotives like car and trains and even factories. In fact, current studies implicate automobiles and factory plants as the biggest sources of these green house gases. If nothing is done to curb this problem, scientists are estimating an average of 9 degrees increase in temperature at the end of the century.

One fact that I have learned from the facts and information surrounding global warming is that clearing of forest cover has greatly contributed to the rise in temperatures. Forests act as sinks that absorb the green house gases that are released into the atmosphere (Heler & Zavaleta, 2009). Clearing the forests reduces the amount tree cover available to absorb the released green house gases and at the same time the organic matter left in the open fields to decompose produces more methane, one of the green house gases. Furthermore, keeping large herds of cattle increases the amount of methane in the atmosphere since cow dung produces a lot of methane as it decomposes. Nitrous oxide gas has been increased by the increased use of nitrogen based fertilizers alongside other soil management practices that seek to improve farm yields. Some of the gases released into the atmosphere remain there for far too long, therefore, precipitating change in climate elements that have some far reaching effects on the survival of human beings.

Evidence of global warming that scientists use to evaluate the progress is available. Recent evidence shows that the surface temperature of the earth has increased by up to 0.3˚celcius over the last one century. The sea levels have also been rising steadily. Furthermore, glaciers have receded and the extent of the sea in the Arctic Circle is also shrinking. Scientists use objective methods to asses and evaluate the global warming phenomenon. In addition, scientists have proposed additional theories to explain try and explain the global warming problem. For example, some scientists postulate that the heat that used to be absorbed by the deep waters in the sea has saturated the deep waters. This means that no more heat is absorbed from the surface of the sea waters. The accumulation, therefore, explains the increase in the global temperatures. In addition, scientists refer to past records for objective guidance in their analysis. These records have immense information on past natural events or disasters that might have had a big effect on the general climate of the earth (Heler & Zavaleta, 2009). Currently, scientists keep a close observation of these events and use them to assess the impact on global warming. The advancing technology has also made it possible for scientists to analyze samples from glaciers and ice that could probably give a lot of clues as to the past climate changes. This enables them to reconstruct the past climates.

Global warming has a very big impact on the human race. First, the most direct and obvious effect is the increase in the annual temperature (Peters et al., 2013). This in turn will alter the crop growing seasons, increase erosion in the coastal areas, cause melting of the ice caps and even change the epidemiology and prevalence of some infectious diseases. Long and many hot days than cool days will also become a common occurrence. Places that never used to experience heat waves may start experiencing them. On the other hand, places that used to experience heat waves will now experience more intense heat waves. The rainfall pattern is also likely to change because of global warming. Wet lands Places in higher altitudes will receive more rainfall while tropical regions or places that were dry before will experience periods of less rainfall more frequently. In addition, rainfall will come in form of a storm rather than normal rain. Periods of drought in between the rainfall seasons will also increase. Hurricanes will become more frequent and worse because of the warm surface sea waters.

The knowledge of all these new facts about global warming has twisted my perspective about global warming and environmental conservation quite a lot. It is clear that a substantial amount of the causes of global warming can be avoided. I think human beings and especially the authorities that have jurisdiction in this area should intensify their campaigns on global warming. There is a great reason to worry because evidence shows that reversing global warming could decades, maybe even centuries. This fact should scare us into making more calculated strides in the fight against global warming. Much of the effects of global warming will affect the survival of the human species in general. There are many strategies that can be done to combat this problem. One of the strategies is making policies that regulate the use of energy sources that release green house gases into the atmosphere (Warming, 2004). The other way is to encourage innovative ways of energy generation that do not tamper with the environment. Lastly, I think it is the responsibility of every single one of us to be responsible enough in the use of energy sources.

• Heller, N. E., & Zavaleta, E. S. (2009). Biodiversity management in the face of climate change: a review of 22 years of recommendations. Biological conservation , 142 (1), 14-32.
• Peters, G. P., Andrew, R. M., Boden, T., Canadell, J. G., Ciais, P., Le Quéré, C., … & Wilson, C. (2013). The challenge to keep global warming below 2 C. Nature Climate Change, 3(1), 4-6.
• WARMING, C. O. G. (2004). Biosolids and global warming: Evaluating the management impacts. Biocycle , 45 (8), 54.
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