SPC 1016
November 06, 2008

Specific purpose: To convince my audience that global warming does exist and we can help put a stop to it.

Introduction I. What would you do if someone tells you that the foundation of your home is sinking? Would you try and fix it or would you let it sink slowly?
II. Today, I am going to help you recognize that global warming does exist, we are the main cause and we can do something to stop this.
III. It is important we all know this because before we know it, our homes can be deep under water and we will be the ones to blame.
IV. I am qualified to give this speech because I have done extended research on this topic.
V. Today I will be discussing some causes and effects, predictions made for the future and what we can do to make a difference.

Body I. First let’s discuss what causes Global warming and the effects it has on our planet. A. According to the book Global Warming: Opposing Viewpoints, it is said that human activity is responsible for the majority of the warming that has occurred over the past 150 years (Watson 65). 1. Scientific experts believe that human activity is causing global warming through emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere (Watson 66). 2. According to the Causes of Global Warming web site, population is being said to be another Man-made cause of Global Warming, the more people there is the more the demand for food and transportation will increase (Man-made Causes of Global Warming, par. 2). 3. Pollution is one of the biggest man-made causes. Burning fossil fuels; such as coal and oil (Man-made Causes of Global warming, par. 1). 4. According to the book Earth Under Fire, fossil fuel use for power and transportation is the greatest source of the greenhouse gases that causes global warming (Braasch Intro). B. According to about.com, Global concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide-three of the most notable greenhouse gases- have increased over the past 250 years as a direct result of human activities. 1. The increase of carbon dioxide is due primarily to the use of fossil fuels, such as oil and coal, and changes in land use such as cutting down forests to make way for farming, housing and other developments. 2. The increase in methane and nitrous oxide are primarily due to agriculture said the environmental section at about.com. C. Forecasts suggest that during the twenty-first century, thermal expansion of warming oceans and the melting of glaciers and ice caps will cause a sea level rise of up to one meter, said the book Global Warming: Opposing Viewpoints (Gaffin 139). 1. On the web site Effect of Global Warming, the sea level has been known to drop in history, but a worldwide level of the sea level rose 4 to 8 inches over the past 100 years (Global Warming Facts, par. 4). 2. In the book Earth Under Fire, global warming is causing glaciers and ice sheets to melt at an accelerating rate (Braasch Intro). a. For example, there are 46,000 glaciers feeding the major rivers of Asia, supporting more than a billion people physically and spiritually in cities such as Lahore, Hyderabad, Delhi, Kolkata, and Dhaka, but unfortunately these glaciers have melted back at least 7 percent over the past 40 yrs (Braasch 40). 3. As the ice melts at the poles and in high mountains and the ocean warms and expands, low-lying areas are inundated by rising sea level (Braasch Intro). D. According to the Wildlife and Global Warming web site, The National Wildlife Federation considers global warming to be "the most dangerous threat to the future of wildlife" (How does Global Warming Affect Wildlife, par. 1) 1. With rising temperatures, the thinning ice leaves fewer places for both the polar bears to hunt and the seals to raise their young (How does Global Warming Affect Wildlife: Polar Bear, par. 6). 2. Rising temperatures are causing the amount of sea ice to diminish, which in