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Persuasive Speech on Fact Outline

General Purpose: To persuade my audience about a fact.

Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience that man-made global warming is a myth based on bad scientific measures.

Argument: Global warming is not mankind’s fault because climate change is a normal process.

Introduction

  1. Attention Getter: Despite what you may have heard from Al Gore, driving your SUV is not going to contribute to the destruction of planet Earth.
  1. Argument/Introduce Topic: In fact, global warming is not the fault of you and your SUV, but rather climate change and that is a normal process.
  1. Credibility Statement: I am an environmental studies major who has thoroughly researched this topic, from an unbiased perspective, for the past few weeks.
  1. Preview: Today I plan to explain why global warming is a myth and not a fact.
  1. I will first explain how the Earth’s temperature is a natural phenomenon.
  1. Then I will show you how the science of global warming alarmists is flawed.
  1. Finally, I will propose a different motive for those who seem to fight on behalf of the planet; one where the environment is not exactly their primary concern.

[Transition: All told, there are many things to consider about climate change, so let’s get started.]

  1. Main Point: The Earth’s temperature has always been in flux and its change is natural.
  1. Sub-point:Just look at the Ice Age as a historical moment when the Earth’s temperature drastically shifted.
  1. Sub-point: For something more recent, look at the Great Depression inthe 1930s and the Dust Bowls that blew away the topsoil in Oklahoma, Texas, and other parts of the nation during that time due to lack of rain.
  1. Sub-point: If these historical events are not enough to convince you about the natural changes in temperature our planet goes through, then here is some scientific research.
  1. Sub-sub-point: Kirk A. Maasch a professor from the University of Maine, said the following on PBS: “During the past billion years, the Earth's climate has fluctuated between warm periods - sometimes even completely ice-free - and cold periods, when glaciers scoured the continents. The cold periods—or ice ages—are times when the entireEarth experiences notably colder climatic conditions. During an ice age, the polar regions are cold, there are large differences in temperature from the equator to the pole, and large, continental-sized glaciers can cover enormous regions of the earth”(“The Big Chill,” par. 1).
  1. Sub-sub-point: Further on in this article he notes that it is impossible to know the exact cause, and things such as solar activity and theEarth’s position relevant to the sun can matter (Maasch, “The Big Chill”).
  1. Sub-point:According to the website Scepticalscience.com every 120,000yearsor so the Earth experiences ice cycles when glaciers melt and CO2 gas is released (“Global Warming and Natural Climate Change in the Past,” par. 8).
  1. Sub-point: Sciencedaily.com also says that there were significant climate changes between the year 1,200 and 2000 (“Natural Climate Change May be Larger than Commonly Thought,” par. 2).
  1. Sub-point: This is something global warming alarmists seem to ignore.

[Transition: Don’t just take my word for it. Let’s hear what other scientists have to say about the science of global warming.]

  1. Main Point: Al Gore, and others who promote the notion that we aredestroying our planet by our activities,use flawed science that istoo narrow, and leaves out many factors.
  1. Sub-point: The founder of the Weather Channel is a global warming skeptic.
  1. Sub-sub-point: In a speech to the San Diego Chamber of Commerce JohnColeman, founder of the Weather Channel, said he had read thousands ofglobal warming studies and they are faulty because their whole case is based on an increase in carbon dioxide (“Weather Channel Founder Makes another Challenge to Gore,” par. 10).
  1. Sub-sub-point: Coleman went on to say that carbon dioxide is normal, webreathe it out, oceans absorb it and return it to the air(“Weather Channel Founder Makes Another Challenge to Gore,” par. 13).
  1. Sub-sub-point: Coleman notes that Al Gore was influenced by a Harvard professor who studied CO2, but even the professor said that CO2 was not a serious threat (“Weather Channel Founder Makes Another Challenge to Gore,” par. 11).
  1. Sub-sub-point: Coleman said “if this weren’t so serious, it would be laughable””(“Weather Channel Founder Makes Another Challenge to Gore,” par. 9).
  1. Sub-point: Since this is such a controversial topic I am going tooffer more evidence from scientists that contradict alarmists like Al Gore.
  1. Sub-sub-point:A GOP website that is hosted by the United States Senate, says the following:
  1. Sub-sub-point:Nobel Prize Winner for Physics, Ivar Giaever, states“I am a skeptic…Global warming has become a new religion” (Morano,10 December 2008, par. 5).
  1. Sub-sub-point: Atmospheric Scientist Dr. Joanie Simpson, formerly ofNASA and who has authored more than 190 research studies noted:“Since I am no longer affiliated with any organization nor receiving any funding, I can speak quite frankly….As a scientist I remain skeptical”(Morano, 10 December 2008, par. 6).
  1. Sub-sub-point: A UN IPCC Scientist Dr. Kiminori Itoh, who is an award-winning PhD environmental physical chemist stated: Warming fears are the “worst scientific scandal in the history…When people come to know what the truth is, they will feel deceived by science and scientists”(Morano, 10 December 2008, par. 7).
  1. Sub-sub-point: Victor Manuel Velasco Herrera, a researcher at the Institute of Geophysics of the National Autonomous University of Mexicohad some strong reactions as well:“The models and forecasts of the UN IPCC "are incorrect because they only are based on mathematical models and presented results at scenarios that do not include, for example, solar activity”(Morano, 10 December 2008,par. 9).
  1. Sub-point: There are many other researchers I could quote from the website, but I simply don’t have enough time.

[Transition: If there is such a dispute over whether global warming exists,

what then is the motive in promoting it as fact?]

  1. Main Point: Global warming alarmists have a much more personal motive than protecting the planet.
  1. Sub-point: Many of the scientists who support global warming receive funding to find support for global warming, meaning they have a vested interest in promoting global warming.
  1. Sub-sub-point: The Senate website I mentioned a little while ago notes that award winning paleontologist, Dr. Eduardo Tonni, claimed that “the global warming scaremongering has its justification in the fact that it is something that generates funds.”
  1. Sub-sub-point: John Coleman, whom I referenced earlier, stated that researchers find global warming so they can get more research money.
  1. Sub-sub-point: Coleman also noted that scientists make a living off of this activity, have groupthink, and evaluate and approve of each others’ work, making it self-replicating research.
  1. Sub-point: You should wonder about people who get financial benefits for their research findings.

[Transition: The motives of global warming alarmists are not pure, and neither is their science so why should we take their word for it that global warming is a fact?]

Conclusion

  1. Signpost: To sum up, the Earth’s temperature is always fluctuating, and what we call global warming is actually bad science motivated by greed, not an act of people.
  1. Summary:Our climate naturally changes, and those adjustments are due to many things.
  1. In fact, there are many reputable scientists who are skeptical of global warming.
  1. Unfortunately, some scientists who support the idea of global warming get research grants and approve each others work for personal gain, thus perpetuating the idea that global warming is a fact.
  1. Global warming is at best a theory supported by poor science, and sowe should not take it as fact.
  1. Clincher: So, before we give up our SUVs and radically alter our lives, maybe we should just ask Al Gore why looking at good science might be inconvenient for his truth.

Bibliography

Global warming and natural climate change in the past. (nd.). Skeptical Science. Retrieved on: November 2, 2009. change-little-ice-age-medieval-warm-period.htm.

Maasch, Kirk A. (nd.). The Big Chill. Nova Online. Retrieved on: November 2, 2009.

Morano, Marc. (10 December 2008). UN Blowback: More than 650 International

Scientists Dissent Over Man-Made Global Warming Claims. The Inhofe EPW Press Blog. Retrieved on: November 2, 2009. ord_id=2158072e-802a-23ad-45f0-274616db87e6

Natural Climate Change May be Larger than Commonly Thought. (17 February 2005).

Science Daily. Retrieved on: November 2, 2009.