Sample Essay 1– “Source Dump”
It is important to know background about what is being dealt with, in terms of
greenhouse gases, before a solution can be found. There are four main types of greenhouse
gases: carbon dioxide (76%), nitrous oxide (6%), methane (13%), and fluorocarbons (5%).
(http://www.umich.edu/~gs265/society/greenhouse.htm) Carbon dioxide is therefore the most
threatening of the greenhouse gases and should be investigated in detail. The four main
contributors of carbon dioxide are power plants, cars and trucks, major transportation, and
factories and home heating systems. From continued, unregulated use of these processes, “every
year humans add over 30 billion tons of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by these processes,
and it is up thirty percent since 1750.” (www.envirolink.org/orgs/edf/sitemap.html) Some sort of
regulation needs to be instituted in order to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere.
The next greenhouse gas to discuss is nitrous oxide. This is a gas that is released naturally
from oceans and by bacteria in soils. It is important to reduce emissions because “the nitrous
oxide we release today will still be trapped in the atmosphere 100 years from now.”
(http://www.umich.edu/~gs265/society/greenhouse.htm) It is not as strong in the way of trapping
radiation and sending it back to the Earth, but due to the fact stated above, the levels of nitrous
oxide in the atmosphere could reach alarming levels in the neat future.
Methane on the other hand stays in the atmosphere for only 10 years, but it traps 20 times
more heat than carbon dioxide. Methane is a colorless, odorless, flammable gas. It is usually
formed by the decaying of plants, especially in swampy areas. Another way methane is produced
is by livestock on farms. In one day a cow can emit ½ pound of methane into the air. If you
imagine every cow in the state of California emitting that much methane every day, you can do
the math on how much of a problem that could cause. From research, it has been found that
“since
1750,
methane
has
doubled,
and
could
double
again
by
2050.”
(http://www.umich.edu/~gs265/society/greenhouse.htm)
The last main greenhouse gases are fluorocarbons. This is a general term for any group of
any compound that contains fluorine and carbon. These compounds are often used in
refrigerators and air conditioning units. When there are leaks in these units and these gases get
out into the atmosphere, they trap heat and add to the overall problem of global warming.
Sample Essay 2– “Missing Links b/w Writer’s Ideas & Source Information”
This discussion of the fisheries agrees with Hardin’s description of a possibly tragedy of
the commons. However, Hardin’s ideal solutions might not apply in this particular situation.
Because the sea is so vast, it would be extremely difficult to regulate all the fishing in the world.
Indeed there would even be fisheries that would blatantly defy regulations in order to prevent
any loss in their haul. “Several countries agreed, for instance, to cut Atlantic swordfish catches
in 1991. Spain and America did so, but not others: Japan’s catch rose by 70%, Portugal’s by
120% and Canada’s by 200%. France, Ireland and Italy were among the countries that continued
to use large-scale drift nets on the high seas after they were banned by the UN in 1991.”
(Economist 2) It is especially difficult when the fishers themselves do not agree with scientists
regarding a slow decline in the population of targeted fish. “Plenty of figures seem to support
the optimists. Despite the exploitation round its coasts, Britain, for instance, still landed 750,000
tonnes of Atlantic fish in 2006, two-thirds of what it caught in 1951; even cod is still being
hauled from the north-east Atlantic, mostly by Norwegians and Russians. Some British fishing
communities—Fraserburgh, for example—are in a sorry state, but others still prosper.”
(Economist) In the fisher’s eyes, there is no reason to believe that overfishing is taking place
because data does not show any true signs of it. As a result, Hardin’s general Commons-type
solution of privatization and regulation would be very difficult to apply and enforce in this
situation.