Rik Ghosh

I. Attention
A. Some of the most densely populated, countries in the world, such as Indonesia, with a
population of 230 million, and Myanmar, with a population of 50 million, have people
living in coastal areas.
B. People’s livelihood in these countries is closely dependent on the regular rise and fall of
sea tides.
C. Can you imagine what a few inches of rise in sea level would do to them? Many of these
civilizations would be washed away completely!
D. That is exactly what is going to happen, if the problem known as global warming is
allowed to progress at its current rate.
II. Need
A. Greenhouse gasses accumulate in the atmosphere and absorb the earth’s radiation, which
causes the earth to heat up.
1. These gasses keep the earth from freezing, but too much will have adverse effects.
2. Human produced carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, and the increased level of CO2
emissions after the industrial revolution, has caused the earth to warm significantly.
B. A thick layer of permafrost covers Siberia, the large frozen section of Russia.
1. Unnoticed by most people, large deposits of methane, an extremely toxic, powerful
greenhouse gas, lie below this layer of permafrost.
2. If this permafrost were to melt, the methane would be released, and would only
escalate the problem of global warming.
III. Satisfaction
A. If major countries of the world were to sign treaties to reduce their carbon footprint, or
the amount of carbon dioxide gas released, then the effects of global warming may be
postponed, or even stopped.
1. There are various methods of achieving this goal.
2. The United States is already negotiating with other countries in Geneva, Switzerland,
according to Alden Meyer, Director of Strategy and Policy in the union of concerned
scientists.
B. The United Nations could work together to create a fund for reducing carbon footprint.
1. Countries around the world could choose to enter a partnership where each keeps a
track of each other’s carbon footprint.
2. Countries could be fined for having too high a rate of CO2 emissions, and would have
to donate to the fund.
IV. Visualization
A. If everyone were to work together, then global warming would not pose so much of a
threat.
1. People around the world would be able to live their lives with minimal changes, and
many civilizations would be able to continue thriving.
2. Green, more environmentally friendly, choices by the worlds nations, would not only
solve the current global warming issue, but would provide solutions to other
upcoming problems such as finding alternative sources of energy.
B. On the other hand, if people continue to ignore the effects of dangerous CO2 emissions,
the world could have many serious problems.
1. Many costal civilizations would get buried under the oceans, and current desert
climates would expand and would cause even more land to become completely
unlivable. Many of the world’s most diverse civilizations would come to an end.
2. Not only humans, but a large magnitude of the worlds interesting, endangered
species, already living in severe climates, would become extinct, animals such as sea
turtles, giant pandas, tigers, and elephants.
V. Action
A. People in their everyday lives can make small, beneficial changes, which could greatly
lessen the impact of global warming.
B. Little changes, such as making sure that all the windows and doors of your home are
sealed, can make a big difference in terms of waste, due to less air-conditioning or heat
leak.
C. Even if you do not believe this will help, it won’t do any harm, as you will save on your
energy bills anyway!