Climate Change

Climate Change

The global warming problem is something people are worried about all the time. There are two articles about climate change, Krauthammer’s article “Myth of ‘Settled’ Science” and McKibben’s article “A Moral Atmosphere”. Both authors expressed their views in the articles. Are there any similar ideas in these articles? Comparing the “Myth of ‘Settled’ Science” and “A Moral Atmosphere” in three ways: tones, opinions and endings.

The tone of  “The Myth of ‘Settled’ Science” and the tone of “A Moral Atmosphere ” are different because Krauthammer’s article has an skeptical one and McKibben’s article has a responsible tone. We can see the tone of Krauthammer’s article is skeptical obviously. In the article, he writes, “I am not a global warming believer. I am not a global warming denier” (Krauthammer 248). The repetition makes the reader not understand his attitude about climate change. He is skeptical. On the other hand, McKibben’s article is responsible. In McKibben’s article, he believes “It’s in our role as citizens—of campuses. Of nations, of the planet—that’s we’re going to have solve this problem” (McKibben 254). Because McKibben offers that climate change can be solved by people’s consciousness, everyone is responsible. The two articles have different tones. They are skeptical and responsible.

After that, the opinions of these two authors are diverse. One of them thinks the climate change is not bad as people said and the other one believes climate change depends on what people do. Krauthammer’s opinions in his article are that the climate has changed but not as bad as people have expected. McKibben’s opinions in his article are that the climate has changed. The changing depends on what people do. In Krauthammer’s article, he writes “Even the U.K.’s national weather service concedes there’s been no change—delicately called a ‘pause’—in global temperature in 15 years” (Krauthammer 249). We can get the information that weather has not changed in 15 years, but it doesn’t mean the weather will never change. In McKibben’s article, he says, “But if 10 percent of people, once they’ve changed the light bulbs, work all-out to change the system? That’s enough. That’s more than enough” (McKibben 253). From this sentence, we can see if just part of people do the good thing for our environment the climate will get better. Both two articles all agree that the climate has changes but the difference is that Krauthammer debates climate change is over blown; it is not bad as people said. McKibben considers that people’s behavior can change climate. The opinions of these two authors are obviously different.

Finally, both authors use different approach for the end. Krauthammer writes a brief sentence as his ending of the articles and McKibben gives an example and shows that we need to act our own role. Krauthammer writes, “Ah, settled science in action” (Krauthammer 250). Krauthammer uses this brief sentence to show his doubtful attitude with settled science. He also gives a conclusion for settled science. In McKibben’s article, he says, “But it’s become utterly clear that doing the right thing in your personal life, or even on your campus, isn’t going to get job done in time; and it may be providing you with sufficient psychic comfort that you don’t feel the need to do the hard things it will take to get the job done.”(McKibben 254). McKibben uses the analogy to make people believe more that we should do the right thing, and then make it clear that people should do what is good for the climate. These two authors concluded their articles in different ways. Both authors have a good summary of the article, and McKibben’s essay has played a good role in promoting the reader. And the end of McKibben’s writing, which is very convincing.

Through all, these two articles have different tones, opinions and endings. Two authors express different views on climate change through their articles. Like the two authors said, we should know that science is always change and do good things for our environment. Everyone has their own different views on climate change. But climate change is really happening. People should do the good thing for the climate change. Each of us should contribute our own power to make climate change slower.

Rachael Liu

Works Cited

Krauthammer, Charles. “The Myth of ‘Settled’ Science.” America Now, edited
by Robert Atwan. Originally published in The Washington Post, 20 Feb. 2014.

McKibben, Bill. “A Moral Atmosphere.” America Now, edited by Robert Atwan.
Originally published in Orion, Mar.-Apr. 2013.