Name ___Daniel Dickinson ENG 102

Grade ____80___________ Research Paper Cover Sheet

Remember that a research paper will not be accepted unless it meets these criteria: 1. It is the correct type of research paper and on the assigned topic; 2. All parts that were assigned as homework have been handed in and graded; 3. It is in standard form (typed in a Word document, double-spaced, 11 or 12 font) Points Your Required Characteristics of the Research Paper Possible Points The paper is well organized and well written: 50 Points 40 1. There is a short title that tells the topic of the paper. 2. The introduction introduces the topic to the readers clearly and thoroughly, 3. There is a clearly stated, well-formed, effective thesis in the introduction, 4. The body of the paper explains and supports the thesis clearly, logically, and thoroughly, 5. The conclusion restates the thesis and effectively brings the paper to a close, 6. An appropriate audience is clearly and consistently addressed throughout the paper. 7. The paper is between 500-1,000 words not including the Works Cited pager. 50 points The research is properly and effectively integrated into the paper: 40 1. There is quoted, paraphrased and/or summarized material from at least five scholarly sources of at least three different types, 2. Material from sources comprises no more than 30% of the paper, i.e., the paper is at least 70% your own ideas and writing, 3. The material from sources is well blended in with your own writing using effective signal words and phrases, and punctuation, 4. Material from sources is paraphrased as much as possible, and quoted only when necessary, 5. All material from sources is correctly cited in MLA form. Point Scale for Editing -5 points -10 points -20 points a few errors More than a few errors

+5 points 0 errors

0 1-3 errors

-50 points Many errors

Your Editing Score ___0____ The thesis needs to be cited in the introduction. Also, I didnt find two of your sources cited in the paper: Aronson, and Health. And the graph should not be tacked on at the end; it should be in the body with some explanation of why its there.

Comment [R1]: See comment 1 Comment [R2]: Comment

EPA Controversies: Defense of EPA Integrity Research Paper

ENG 102 Dr. Cristie Roe Daniel Dickinson

EPA Controversies: Defense of EPA Integrity Research Paper

Since the conception of the Environmental protection agency, there have been those that believe in a great conspiracy (Mink), because people take things at face value (Aronson, et al.).The injustices of Bureaucratic corruption trump scientific purity: their solution, abolish the EPA! (Entine, Paper) Voters need to be aware that the EPA is an easy target for libel and that the data published by it is easily misunderstood (Phillpott; Goldin). It is likely that every known logical fallacy. As or is being used to slander the EPA(Werner; Entine, paper; Entine, Milwaukee's Best No Longer). The environmental protection agency however is maintaining its scientific integrity and thus should not be the target of unwarranted and illegitimate scrutiny. Misunderstanding Causation vs. Correlation in an article by the same name explains how clever advertising can grossly misrepresent data. Merely expressing that things have similar statistics means nothing. There is a correlation between drinking and smoking, but does that mean that one caused the other? Hardly! That is what is meant by the Fallacies cum hoc ergo propter hoc (with this therefore because [of] this) and non-sequitur (It does not follow: i.e. steps where skipped in an argument to arrive at a conclusion). Likewise, a correlation between mortality rates and the use of a specific pesticide is not sufficient evidence to make any judgment on the pesticide. Establishing causality is a fundamental aspect of all science (Woodward);. Butbut it seems Science [is] prized only insofar as it [is] immediately applicable to some practical and economic aim.. (Sacasas) Another folly is when journalists dramatically overComment [R5]: Added a semicolon to fix a fragment tacked on after a succinct statement Comment [R3]: See comment 7&8 why no underline or better question what are the underlined asterisks for I dont recall putting them there. Is that the problem? Comment [R4]: I dont understand this part 1 why does comment 1 ask about Aronson? 2 why is the et al. added? 3 if the et al. was added how was the reference missed?

estimate the risk of something happening by turning the odds ratio into a percentage change in risk A topic worthy of its own lecture (Goldin). As far as I can tell, the greatest misunderstandings come from blatant disregard for evidence, pure lies and citing small university studies (Vadantarn, EPA inspector; New EPA Mercury; Entine, Milwaukee's Best No Longer). Just last month CBS ran an article on health which vaulted more malarkey about BPA (Entine, Milwaukee's Best No Longer). The director of STATS an organization dedicated to sorting out the truth from the not so true, John Entine had this to say on a similar article (Entine, Genetic Literacy). Over the past few years, the dominant narrative among select publications the Journal Sentinel, most notablyis that BPA is dangerous to humans, infants, and pregnant women in particular, because it distorts development. Because of this, some have labeled it an endocrine disruptor. Indeed, it does subtly alter the way hormones in our endocrine system work, as do many chemicals, including soy, nuts, wheat and berries. The BPA is harmful thesis never gained mainstream acceptance among scientistsno regulatory panel in the world has recommended restricting BPA based on the evidence, although political bodies have imposed restrictions, partly because of public perceptions stirred by articles in the Journal Sentinel and other publications. (Entine, Philpott, Scared to Death). The agency has been the subject of tireless rants for making mandates (Leber), some of which allegedly intending to protect polluters (Kuhnenn; Vedantarn, New EPA Mercury). As Entine points out, public perceptions hold great sway in bureaucracy (A Toxic). Countless other popularity contests over hot topics have been the subject of criticism.
Comment [R6]: This is my health in text citation, do I need `health with 3 on each side of it Comment [R7]: These are the words of Entine but he was not, explicitly speaking about CBS so I felt that I needed to be clear in case he likes CBS and found this offensive admittedly not necessary.

These are just a few examples of outlandish a priori expectation subjects. When a professor from some university, for instance Tyrone Hayes, believes atrazine (widely used herbicide) is harmful, it must be. That is an example of: a dictosecundum quid ad dictum, simplicite (Irrelevant conclusion) and ad verecundiam (authority appeal) (Werner). No one I have known of has ever died of small airborne particulates (Airborne; Konkel). That is an example of Converse fallacy of accident or hasty generalization as well as affirming the consequent and denying the antecedent. A Fallacy of accident or sweeping generalization is a generalization that disregards exceptions such as impeding justice is illegal so when the EPA advised its employees not to respond to a survey they must be obstructing justice rather than advising its employees to make wise decisions (Voices of). Amphiboly, misplaced concreteness or Apophasis (innuendo) is used when a scientist is quoted as saying it is not likely to be harmful to humans (Philpott, the Making of an). Proof by verbosity is used when lots of facts are used at once so that not all the sources are likely to be checked. Accent is implemented with an excess of commas so as to provide emphasis on a particular part of a sentence without actually stating the conclusion because it is implied. A Fallacy of composition example: the employees are asked to be dishonest so the agency must be dishonest, or its converse (Voices of). An example of that converse is that: Liquid nicotine will kill you within a few hours if you touch it, cigarettes contain nicotine, and so they will kill you (10 of the Most). While the argument is true, the form is invalid and thus unsound (A clearer example is the commercial statement: Part of this complete nutritious breakfast; a part does not guarantee the whole).

Despite this barrage of appeals to emotion from mildly inquisitive environmentalists, eventually a conspiracy theorist can muddle to the bottom of this issue. That is that the EPA maintains its scientific integrity and should not be the target of such publicized scrutiny.

Works Cited *"Airborne Particles."Epa. gov, n.d. Web. 7 May 2012. <http://www.epa.gov/ airnow/particle/pm-color.pdf>. *Aronson, Elliot, et al. Chapter 3 Social Cognition: How We Think about the Social World. Napa Valley College. Mar.-Apr. 2012. Ppt file. <http://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=16732009066494791886&q=epa&hl=en& as_sdt=2,3> *Causation vs. Correlation. 2007. George Mason U., Fairfax County. Stats.Web. 5 May 2012. <http://web.archive.org///://stats.org/_vs.htm>. *Entine, Jon, dir. Genetic Literacy Project. Statistical Assessment Service , 1 May 2011. Web. 26 Apr. 2012. *- - -. Milwaukees Best No Longer. American Enterprise Institute 29 Apr. 2011: n. pag. American.Web. 7 May 2012. <http://american.com>. *- - -. Paper and Plastic: When Political Ideology Trumps Sound Science.American Enterprise Institute 1 Sept. 2011: n. pag. American.Web. 7 May 2012. <http://american.com>. *- - -. A Toxic Setback for the Anti-Plastic Campaigners.American Enterprise Institute 19 Apr. 2011: n. pag. American.Web. 6 May 2012. <http://american.com>. *Goldin, Rebecca. Odds Ratios: Possibly the Most Difficult Concept to Grasp When Reporting Research Findings. 4 Apr. 2007. George Mason U., Fairfax County.Stats.Web. 5 May 2012. <http://web.archive.org///://stats.org/_odds_ratios.htm>.
Comment [R8]: Why is there an asterisk beside Aronson but it is not highlighted in red obviously because you didnt find it in the text.

Health.Local News. Associated Press, The. CBS. KRLD, Dallas, 30 Mar. 2012. cbsnews. Web. 16 Apr. 2012. <http://www.cbsnews.com/_162-57407237/rejects-call-to-ban-bpa-fromfood-packaging/>. *Konkel, Lindsey. Heavy Metal: Some Airborne Particles Pose More Dangers Than Others .Union of Concerned Scientists.N.p., 17 Dec. 2009. Web. 7 May 2012. <http://www.ucsusa.org/scientific_integrity/abuses_of_science/ survey-of-epa-scientists.html>. *Kuhnhenn, Jim. Obama Halts Controversial EPA Ozone Regulation. Associated Press.Ed. Dina Cappiello and Julie Pace.N.p., 2 Sept. 2011. Web. 12 Apr. 2012. <http://news.yahoo.com/halts-controversial-epa-regulation-143731156.html>. *Leber, Rebecca. GOP Rep. Stephen Fincher: We Must Cut the EPAs Legs Off. thinkprogress.org.climate. N.p., 10 Apr. 2012. Web. 16 Apr. 2012. <http://thinkprogress.org//////rep-stephen-fincher-we-must-cut-the-epa-legs- off/>. *Mink v. Environmental Protection Agency.410 U.S. 73.Supreme Court of the US. 1973. scholar.google. google, n.d. Web. 5 May 2012. <http://scholar.google.com/_case?case=16732009066494791886&q=epa&hl=en&as_sdt =2,3>. *Philpott, Tom. The Making of an Agribusiness Apologist. motherjones. Mother Jones and the Foundation for National Progress, 24 Feb. 2012. Web. 25 Apr. 2012. <http://motherjones.com/philpott///syngengta-tyrone-hayes-jon-entine>.
Comment [R9]: No red

*- - -. The Making of an Agribusiness Apologist.Mother Jones. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. Rpt. of Scared to Death: How Chemophobia Threatens Public Health.By Jon Entine. New York: American Council on Science and Health, 2011. mother Jones. Web. 6 May 2012. <http://www.motherjones.com/philpott///syngengta-tyrone-hayes-jon-entine>. *Sacasas, Michael. Technology in America.American Enterprise Institute 13 Apr. 2012: n. pag. American.Web. 6 May 2012. <http://american.com>. *10 of the Most Dangerous Chemicals in the World. http://io9.com.N.p., n.d. Web. 7 May 2012. <http://io9.com//of-the-most-dangerous-chemicals-in-the-world?tag=chemistry>. *Vedantam, Shankar. EPA Inspector Finds Mercury Proposal Tainted Agency Staff Was Told to Set Limits Backing Bushs Clear Skies Initiative, Report Says. Washington Post [Washington] 4 Feb. 2005: A04. WashingtonPost.com. Web. 12 Apr. 2012. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/dyn//-2005Mar21.html>. *- - -. New EPA Mercury Rule Omits Conflicting Data Study Called Stricter Limits CostEffective. Washington Post [Washington] 22 Mar. 2005: A01. WashingtonPost.com. Web. 16 Apr. 2012. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/dyn//-2005Mar21.html>. *Voices of EPA Scientists.Union of Concerned Scientists.N.p., 28 Apr. 2008. Web. 7 May 2012. <http://www.ucsusa.org/_integrity/_of_science/of-epa-scientists.html>. *Werner, Erica. Environmentalists Claim White House, EPA Conspiracy. Washington Post [Washington] 3 Aug. 2007: n. pag. Associated Press.Web. 12 Apr. 2012. <http://www.manufacturing.net////claim-white-house-epa-conspiracy>. *Woodward, James. The Causal Mechanical Model of Explanation.N.p., n.d. Web. 6 May 2012. <http://www.mcps.umn.edu//_11Woodward.pdf>.