World Studies Extended Essay
Introduction
Global Climate Change has become a growing concern among nations on a global, national and local scale. Global Climate Change is used to describe the recent changes in patterns of temperature and rainfall, sea level, habitats and the incidence of drought, floods and storms, resulting from changes in the earth’s atmosphere, believed to be caused mainly by the increasing emissions of greenhouse gases due to human activity (IB Definition). There is a misconception in that the natural gas system is to blame for the increase in the global climate when in actual fact it is the increase in greenhouse gas emissions due to human activity. This Extended Essay as it is using the two disciplines of Geography and English Language and Literature will undergo the exploration of different representations of Climate Change in the Media and how it links to data will allow me to draw implications. As Climate Change is such a broad and complex topic there will be a need to separate these complexities into 3 scales, Global, National and Local Scale. The Global Scale will look at the whole world and how climate change has caused such impacts. Secondly, the National Scale, will look at Paris and more specifically the event being the Paris Climate Accords. Finally, the Local scale will look at 2 different locations on a smaller scale which will be a local source giving their opinion on the matter in a local context. The area of study that this topic belongs to is Environmental and/or Economic Sustainability.
Global Scale
1. Geographical Context of the World
Planet Earth is made up of highly complex and constantly changing systems from the atmosphere we breathe to the oceans we navigate and the land we live on. Humans play a huge role in the shaping of all these systems. The earth has a diameter of 12,742km. Currently, the sea levels have been changing due to the increase in global climate, this increase in temperature has led to the melting over polar ice caps and glaciers which has released fresh water into the oceans and lead to thermal expansion of ocean water. The current rate of increase in ocean levels per annum is 3.2mm. This has, therefore, caused growing tensions about extreme weather events such as heat and cold waves and tropical cyclones. In addition, the rate at which the Global Ocean Conveyor belt (a global current that helps control climate) (shown in Figure X) is slowing which may lead to increasing problems in the future such as global extinction.
Figure X: The Global Ocean Conveyor Belt
To bring forward the idea of complex systems there is a need to discuss the system of the atmosphere and its role in climate. The atmosphere is the whole mass of air that surrounds the Earth (IB Definition) which receives energy from both the sun and the earth in an open system. The issue is that humans are feeding into the pool of Greenhouse Gases through the burning of fossil fuels and slash and burn methods used in deforestation which causes an increase in carbon dioxide emissions. Additionally, the production of methane from cattle farming and the decomposition of organic biomass that has been released by melted permafrost has also lead to this. Also, there are other aspects that may be leading to this which are Changes in Ocean circulation, plate tectonics, meteorites, volcanic activity and changes in land use. As a result of the build-up of greenhouse gases in the Troposphere, this build-up, therefore, leads to longwave radiation that cannot escape the earth’s surface as there is a greater reflection of this which leads to the warming of the earth.
2. Media Piece 1: The Washington Post
The first article is taken from the Washington Post a well-established newspaper in the Media since 1877. The article in question was published on December 12, 2017. The article’s title is “Warming of the Arctic is ‘unprecedented over the last 1,500 years,’ scientists say”. The text type of this piece is a news article as it is highlighting the events that took place on “Tuesday”. The Washington Post uses the same traditional layout which includes the toolbar at the top of the screen to allow the ease of navigation to other genres and topics in addition to the suggestions box to others works of Mooney and Climate Change. Additionally, Mooney uses graphs for Figure X to illustrate and link to the data to further back up his opinions on the matter which helps him with his credibility as a writer on the topic.
Figure X: Surface Air Temperature Anomalies in 0C for period 1900-2017
To set the context of this article the writer Chris Mooney is a writer on Energy and the Environment. Therefore not only is an avid writer on the topic but also an expert as he has written many books on climate change. Audiences that may be enticed by the “click baited” title may be readers of The Washington Post who may be subscribed, additionally Conservationists that may look at different perspectives on the matter, Climate Change deniers these may be people who may also want to see the other side of the argument. Finally, as the Washington Post is a globally known news source it may also attract global readers. Mooney’s purpose is to inform readers an educate the audience about the need observation and documentation of melting glaciers and floating sea ice. Resulting in better predictions to understand the rate at which sea levels are rising. In addition, the use of data will allow Chris Mooney to address and show this issue and bring about more awareness on the topic so that people will be obliged to change their habits and reduce their ecological footprint.
3. Media Piece 2: National Geographic
The cover in Figure X is taken from a line of covers created by National Geographic in November of 2014 for a special issue. National Geographic is a non-profit organization that generates awareness on controversial topics through monthly magazines. These topics could be about Animals, Culture & Exploration, Environmental, Science and Innovation and Travel.
Figure X: National Geographic – Confronting Climate Change
Figure X as mentioned above is a magazine cover created in November of 2014, therefore the text type is a magazine article however only the cover will be analysed, Firstly the title “Confronting Climate Change”, not only is a controversial topic but the application of assonance is used on the title through the letter “C” to make the title more memorable. Like the Washington post, National Geographic has their own specific style. Firstly the yellow border around the cover page, this border not only makes the image and title contrast better but the colour yellow also corresponds to their logo. Secondly the use of capital letters, on the cover page National Geographic uses capital letters for every word in order to make a clear statement, this element is used on the date, the title, subtitle and the name “National Geographic”. Finally the use of the barcode on the bottom right of the cover means that it is not an online magazine and that they are printed and shipped to subscribers. Some audiences might be drawn in by the controversial title such as students who want to be educated on the subject, subscribers of National Geographic, general readers of the public who are interested in learning more about climate change and geography students who want to understand the topic in more depth. The purpose of the cover is to illustrate and inform to the audiences that Climate Change is here and it is a threat to our way of life. Additionally, it mentions on the subtext “What is being done about it” this refers to the adaptive methods that the world is currently trying to implement to avoid this issue.
4. Geographical Interpretation
Both articles addressed the importance that counter measures must be put in place in order to protect the earth and make it habitable for the future generations. Adaptive and Mitigative measures are currently in the works to do this. These measures are: Reduction in Agriculture emissions, Geo-engineering and Ocean fertilization. These measures have both advantages and disadvantages.
Firstly Reduction in agricultural emissions an adaptive measure. This is achieved through the use of less intensive farming methods such as crop rotation in which crops are rotated each season to avoid disease, Agroforestry in which trees are planted with crops which reduces soil erosion and degradation and Organic fertilizer which reduces carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxides. However it does lead to problems such as management of crops.
The second alternative is Geo- Engineering this is a mitigative strategy which looks at preventing detrimental effects of climate change. Two methods are currently under research, one being clouds that contain sea salt which blocks the sun’s rays from heating the planet. Second being huge mirrors being sent into space to reflect solar radiation by 1% which will lead to a higher albedo (greater reflection of solar radiation). Therefore, reducing the warming of the planet.
Lastly Ocean fertilization, this is a method that looks at increasing the ocean’s capacity as a carbon sink (a natural system that absorbs carbon dioxide). This takes place in upper waters by fertilizing the ocean with nutrients such as iron, nitrogen and phosphorus. This leads to increases in marine food production especially for phytoplankton which remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. However this may trigger algal blooms causing the entrapment of carbon dioxide at the ocean floor.
National Scale
1. Geographical Context of The Paris Climate Accords of 2015
The Paris Climate Accords took place on the 30th of November to the 12th of December 2015 in Paris and was introduced to limit the warming of the Earth below 20C, stabilize the increase to 1.50C and reduce emissions to 0 by 2100. The list of parties to the Accords were 178. All of which signed however it was not ratified by the United States. It is therefore not a universal agreement. To understand the solutions of the Paris Climate Accords two terms must be defined, which are “Climate Mitigation” and “Climate Adaptation”. Climate Mitigation is the globally responsible thing to do, these are actions that reduce the emission that contribute to global climate change, therefore it takes place on the global scale. On the other hand Climate Adaptation is the locally responsible thing to do, these are actions that minimize or prevent the negative impacts of global climate change, therefore this takes place on the local scale. With regards to the Paris Climate Accords the method that is being used is Climate Adaptation, as these measures take place on a local scale within a country in specific industries. Such as the coal industry in Alabama.
2. Media Piece 3: The National Review
This next article is taken from the National Review a conservative magazine. The National Review was established in 1995 and is a biweekly issue. It reports on conservative news, opinions, politics and policies. This article in particular is titled “We’ll Never Have Paris”, the text type is therefore a magazine article. The article was written on June 1st 2017 by the senior editors of the National Review. The style of the National Review is similar to the Washington Post, with a side tab to access other articles, a login button for subscribers and a subscribe button for new subscribers to the magazine. Additionally a topic label to link the article to “Energy and Environment” allows readers to click on and read other related articles in the topic. Finally the use of an image of President Donald Trump gives more context to the article “President Trump announces his decision on the Paris climate accord at the White House”. Audiences that might be drawn to the article might be people who want to get a different perspective then their own, additionally, people who have a conservative mindset or believe in conservatism, subscribers of the National Review and people from conservative States.
The purpose of the article is to justify the reason why the United States withdrew from the Paris Climate Accords, one of the main reason being that it benefits the American industries and economic output.
3. Media Piece 4: The Guardian US
The following article on the National Scale is taken from the Guardian US. The Guardian was established in 1821 in the United Kingdom, however, the United States branch was created in 2011. Guardian US just like the Guardian reports on all types of news, from Opinions to Sport, Culture and Lifestyle as well as current affairs such as Global Climate Change. The text type of this media piece is an op-ed. The article title is “Liberals have a responsibility too: make climate change a top issue” which was written on 6th June 2017 by Jeremy Hance a “wildlife blogger” for the Guardian. The title in itself already takes the side of a Liberalistic perspective as “Liberals” is mentioned in the title. Hance made the title “click bait” in nature which may attract more readers, it is also important that the article is title in this way as it will draw the readers to the message that Climate Change is a very important issue. Audiences may include subscribers of The Guardian, people who have the Liberal mindset or believe in Liberalism and lastly people from Liberal States. The style of the magazine also appeal to audiences as it has sub menus to allow for easy access to other articles, additionally links to other articles related to the topic of Climate Change or other works of Hance. The purpose of the op-ed is to discuss the huge importance of Climate Change and how it should not be considered as a “third or fourth tier issue” this is done by the use of Hance’s own emotions when he received the news that the United States was exiting the Paris Climate Accords. Additionally this is address through the use of a video by NASA showing the warming of the planet since 1980 to 2017.
4. Geographical Interpretation
Local Scale
1. Geographical Context of Alabama
Alabama (Figure X) is one of the 50 states of the United States of America and its capital is Montgomery. Alabama is a state that consists of 4,874,747 people which is split up into different demographics according to United States Census which are “White”, “Black or African American”, “Asian“, “Some other Race”, “Two or More Races” and “Hispanic or Latino”. Alabama is located in south-eastern USA and has a land mass of 135767km2.
Figure X: Map of Alabama
2. Media Piece 5: The Byrne House
The first local media piece is from the List of Congressional Statements on Climate Change. The piece is specifically taken from the Byrne House Website. Bradley Byrne is the author of this media piece and he is a member of the United States House of Representatives from Alabama’s 1st District. Bradley assumed office on the 17th of December 2013 and writes about how specific news such as the Paris Climate Accords affects Alabama. It is therefore looking at the local scale of Alabama. This media’s text type is an op-ed as Byrne addresses the issues in first person for example “I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris.” The title “Leaving the Paris Accord Benefits American Workers” in itself shows that the mindset of Byrne is against the idea of combating climate change, additionally, the article was written on June 4th 2017. The style of the op-ed is very simple, having links to different items on the site, “About Bradley”, “First District”, “Contact Bradley”, “Newsroom” Legislation”, Resources” and “How Can I Help?”. This allows the readers of the website to have easy access to the resources provided. With regards to the writing, there is a definite structure with small paragraphs however there are no graphs to help illustrate or give evidence to Byrne’s writing.
The main purpose of the article is to shine a bad light on the Paris Climate Accords by bringing up all the negative aspects of it, for example “there is no enforcement mechanism behind the agreement, which means there is no accountability” and “the agreement would have been devastating for the American economy. A study be NERA Consulting found that meeting the requirements outlined for the U.S. in the deal would cost our economy nearly $3 trillion over the next several decades”. The aspects given allow Byrne to twist the audience to his side despite this Byrne states “We should continue to pursue energy policies that benefit the American worker, our environment, and the American people.” However this will not be achievable at the current rate the entire world is going at. Audiences interested in this might be the people of Alabama, Conservative readers, Members of the House of Representatives and readers looking at different perspectives on Climate Change and the reasons why the United States exited the Paris Climate Accords.
3. Geographical Context of New York
New York (Figure X) is another one of the 50 states of the United States of American and its capital is Albany. The state of New York consists of 19,849,399 people, much larger in comparison to Alabama. The same demographics as Alabama were found according to The United States Census Bureau. New York is located in north-eastern USA and has a land mass of 141300km2.
Figure X: Map of New York
4. Media Piece 6
The second local and final media piece is also taken from the List of Congressional Statements on Climate Change. The piece is specifically taken from the Suozzi House Website. Thomas Suozzi is the author of this media piece and he is also member of the United States House of Representatives from New York’s 3st District. Thomas Suozzi assumed office on the 1st of January 2017. Suozzi writes press releases and statements about events that have happened and how it affects New York. It is also therefore looking at the local scale of New York. This media’s text type is Press Release as it is specifically tagged as one on the website. Additionally it also uses typical language such as first person, for example “I’m pleased to hear that some of my Republican colleagues on the bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus have already expressed opposition to the President’s decision to withdraw from this agreement.” It’s title is “SUOZZI ISSUES STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO PRESIDENT TRUMP’S DECISION TO ABANDON PARIS CLIMATE AGREEMENT”. Immediately from the title it can be seen that the text is capitalized completely therefore categorizing it as “click-bait” in nature. The style of the website is clean, having drop down menus to allow readers to access the resources provided. Additionally as the text type is a press release no graphs or evidence was given in regards to illustrating or giving a better image to Suozzi’s claims.
The purpose of this press release was to highlight President Trump’s Decision to exit the Paris Climate Accords, and why it was a mistake despite “Trump’s claims stating that he will try and negotiate a better economic deal” Thomas’s statements go against his decision as he takes the stance of moving towards “clean energy” and “eliminating dependence on foreign oil”. This therefore will attract audiences such as environmental activists, people who take the side of liberalists, people who want to make an active difference in helping save the world and finally industries within New York looking to make a change to their actions.
5. Geographical Interpretation
In regards to the local scale articles both took different sides, Byrne takes the side that the Paris Climate Accords had too many limitations and that it led to putting the United States at a disadvantage. These mentioned in the op-ed by Byrne were “no enforcement mechanism behind the agreement, which means no accountability” and that “many nation’s targets are far below what they should be doing in relative to others”. In this perspective Byrne has the right idea, in a sense that countries tend to act in self-interest when It comes to its economy. However, these claims did not mention that high income countries such as the United States have the capital and the influence to exploit the system for example, during the Kyoto Protocol. High Income Countries had the ability to exploit the carbon trading system. Additionally Byrne did not mention any of the affordances that would come with an agreement of this scale. This being the enhancement of international cooperation, this in turn would lead to less conflict between nations and focus more on the common problem. Additionally the agreement attempts to solve long run issues rather than short run issues. However with the United States they consider to solve the short run issues being “the loss of 6 million industrial sector jobs”.