Abby McKellop

Ms. Sharyn Hunter

English 1201- English Composition 2

2/9/22

Literature Review

Universal problems require global solutions. Climate change is a global issue that will

come to affect everyone, and therefore, should be treated with an urgency proportionate to the

magnitude of the problem. Climate change started in the 1800s with the Industrial Revolution, as

human activities, specifically the burning of fossil fuels (UN 1), began to affect the global

climate. The burning of fossil fuels causes an increase in global temperature because it releases

greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. These greenhouse gasses, some examples being carbon

dioxide and methane (NASA 3), trap heat from the sun in the atmosphere. One of the greatest

challenges in tackling this problem is finding a uniform consensus on how to attack the issue.

Therefore, in my research paper, I will explore the question “What is the best solution to combat

climate change?”

Over time, scientists have been able to develop more precise predictions on what the

future may hold given the developing situation of global warming. Scientists have put a lot of

resources into collecting data about the changing climate, and have found that the “the last

decade (2011-2020) was the warmest on record” (UN 4). As climate change progresses,

scientists are tracking changes that the general public may not be aware of, such as the melting of

glaciers and polar ice caps, as well as a rising sea level, temperature, and acidification. Yet, there

are also effects of climate change that people are beginning to notice, such as higher
temperatures in warmer seasons, more extreme weather events, and altered precipitation patterns

(NASA 6-14). Scientists urge that these effects will become more drastic as climate change

progresses- but more importantly, emphasize the fact that taking an apathetic approach will not

be enough to make forward strides. Additionally, the source from the Climate Reality Project

discusses the nature of positive feedback loops, and how the existence of these feedback systems

in our environment are worsening the problem of global warming on its own.

The main similarity between all sources within this review is the agreement that climate

change is a global issue that will require a global solution. Authors emphasize how global

warming will continue to worsen if changes are not made, and that the problem will only become

more difficult to resolve as time continues. Furthermore, many articles dedicate a section to the

evidence, to ensure their readers of the validity of the issue and the need for urgency to generate

change. Specifically, NASA and the UN’s websites about climate change offer thorough

background on the issue. In a concise, easy-to-understand manner, NASA describes the current

effects of climate change as well as predictions for the future that can be understood by the

general public. NASA details how increased temperatures, melting glaciers, and rising sea levels

will create more extreme weather patterns such as more severe season differences, more frequent

and intense natural disasters like hurricanes and floods, and affected growing seasons (NASA).

By addressing the evidence, current effects, and future effects of climate change, NASA and the

UN accurately paint the picture for any reader to understand the problem and the dire need for a

solution.

NASA and the UN highlight the major solution to climate change as the transition to

clean energy. Two well-established, credible government organizations agree upon the idea that

the burning of fossil fuels, the main contributor of atmospheric carbon dioxide, needs to be
limited or even ceased (NASA 4). One of the major public concerns with this mass energy

transition is the extensive financial investment it will require. Therefore, many are led to believe

that economic prosperity and solving climate change are two situations that cannot exist

simultaneously. But, Heather Taylor argues otherwise. As a former Legislative Director for the

Office of the Natural Resources Defense Control (Taylor 2), she outlines how although the

transition to clean energy will require significant financial backing, the clean energy industry

will also create a significant amount of employment opportunities. She describes how “clean

energy jobs are growing 2.5 times as fast as traditional jobs” and that “the climate bill that passed

the House of Representatives last June [2009] could generate nearly 2 million new jobs” (Taylor

12). Especially in the context of a global pandemic, jobs are needed everywhere. The transition

to clean energy could not only put the world on the right track for solving climate change, but

could actually foster economic benefits in the long run.

A slight spinoff of the argument to use clean energy comes from Christopher Barnard. In

his article from the Gale opposing viewpoints database, Barnard places more of an emphasis on

the benefits of nuclear energy, rather than wind and solar energies. As the head of events and

campaigning at students for Liberty UK (Barnard 1), Barnard describes how nuclear power is

more reliable than wind or solar power, “with an average capacity of 92.3 percent, meaning it is

fully operational more than 330 days a year” (Barnard 6). Additionally, Barnard addresses how

one of the challenges with nuclear energy is the general stigma concerning its safety, and

reassures the audience that nuclear power is much safer than it has been in the past and that the

probability of a Chernobyl-caliber disaster is extremely low. Barnard focuses on the reliability of

nuclear power, and describes how investing in the development of nuclear power could reveal

the true potential of this type of clean energy.

 On the other hand, Rebecca Robbins argues for a deliberate increase in forestation in an

article found in the Vermont Journal of Environmental Law. She describes the natural benefits of

trees- simply because of the basis of their photosynthetic processes, trees take in carbon dioxide

and release oxygen back into the atmosphere. Quantifying this notion, she states that with “749

million acres of forestland,” trees were able to entirely remove around 13 percent of greenhouse

gas emissions and offset around 16 percent (Robbins 17-19). Catered to scientific researchers,

Robbins effectively addresses and refutes counterarguments, describing how although the

process and equipment required for mass tree-planting can produce some greenhouse gasses, the

end result is a net benefit for the environment.

One of the greatest misconceptions with climate change comes from underestimating its

significance. One of the great obstacles to finding successful solutions is the difficulty to get

policy makers on the same page. Those that understand the concerns of climate change cannot

agree on the best solution. And yet still, there are policy makers that do not see climate change as

the pressing issue that it is. From the current research, it seems that most sources are pointing to

the use of clean energy as the best solution to climate change. Although transitioning to clean

energy will be a significant financial investment, it will create great returns by creating additional

jobs. In further research, I would like to gain more information on whether wind, solar, or

nuclear energy is the best solution to climate change. But given that part of the discussion about

climate change is simply how to get policy makers on the same page, there may be some

difficulty in narrowing down this distinction. I would like to develop a more solid understanding

of how to implement the transition to clean energy, and any other suggested solutions, so I can

more effectively refute them.

 Works Cited

Barnard, Christopher. "If Climate Change Is a Dire Threat, Why Is No One Talking about

Nuclear Power?" Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2022. Gale In

Context: Opposing Viewpoints,

link.gale.com/apps/doc/KARAQX775535671/OVIC?u=dayt30401&sid=bookmark-OVI

C&xid=5759d678. Accessed 6 Feb. 2022. Originally published as "If Climate Change Is

a Dire Threat, Why Is No One Talking about Nuclear Power?" Foundation for Economic

Education, 29 Apr. 2019.

Climate Action: Science, Solutions, and Solidarity for a Liveable Future. United Nations,

https://www.un.org/en/climatechange. Accessed 6 February 2022.

Global Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet. NASA, 2008, https://climate.nasa.gov/.

Accessed 2 February 2022.

How Feedback Loops Are Making the Climate Crisis Worse. The Climate Reality Project,

https://www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/how-feedback-loops-are-making-climate-crisi

s-worse. Accessed 13 February 2022.

Robbins, Rebecca. “A Growing Need: Increasing Agricultural and Urban Forestation to Combat

Climate Change.” Vermont Journal of Environmental Law. Vol. 22, Issue 2, 2021, pp.

69-102.

Taylor, Heather. "Clean Energy Jobs Will Provide a New Source of Economic Growth." Jobs in

America, edited by Debra A. Miller, Greenhaven Press, 2011. Current Controversies.

Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints,

link.gale.com/apps/doc/EJ3010740220/OVIC?u=dayt30401&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=

6bdcbb6f. Accessed 9 Feb. 2022. Originally published as "Why Climate Change Deniers

Should Still Support Green Energy," NRDC Action Fund, 2010.