The morning sun begins to shed its light on the city below. Turning off the alarm, James removes his Dexcron SleepInhaler 4000 to breathe in what little oxygen he can. Feeling light-headed, he quickly dresses into the day’s apparel consisting of a climate controlled, blue bio-suit and an oxygen tank. Today marks the first day of the month so he turns his calendar as he walks towards the door. He closes the door wondering what caused the world to be this way. All he can remember is that the temperature has been rising since he was born and the hottest day on record, 122 degrees in Cleveland, was recorded last week. Exposing himself to the outdoor elements, he waits for the public shuttle in the sweltering early morning heat of September 1, 2036.
The issue of global warming is a very complex one. While it revolves around pollution and other factors, the basic principle stems from the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is a natural process resulting from various atmospheric components like water vapor and carbon dioxide trapping the Sun’s energy in the lower atmosphere (Gille). This trapped energy causes the Earth’s temperature to rise. Without this process, the global temperature would be a frigid 10 degrees below zero (Salmon). Some scientists believe that human industrialization is increasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere causing the global temperature to rise. The resulting theory is global warming. Yes, the possible results of global warming should be a concern of the global community and burning fossil fuels cannot be beneficial, but nature is to blame, not human negligence.
People who believe in the theory of global warming have justi…
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…ohn C. “Greenhouse Effect.” World Book. 1994.
“Global Warming ‘Consensus’ Claim Doesn’t Hold Water.” National Center for Public Policy Research. 8 Feb. 1998. 4 Dec. 2002 <http://www.nationalcenter.org/
TP38.html>.
Gore, Al. “Immediate Measures Should Be Taken to Combat Global Warming.” Bender, David, Ed. Global Warming: Opposing Viewpoints. New York: Greenhaven, 1997.
Jastrow, Robert. “The Magnitude of Global Warming Will Not Be Extreme.” Bender, David, Ed. Global Warming: Opposing Viewpoints. New York: Greenhaven, 1997.
“New Science on Global Warming.” Natural Resources Defense Council. 27 Sep. 2002.
5 Dec. 2002 .
Salmon, Jeffrey. “Global Warming Does Not Pose A Serious Threat.” Bender,
David, Ed. Global Warming: Opposing Viewpoints. New York: Greenhaven, 1997.
The Style of Toni Morrison’s Beloved
Style Analysis of Beloved
In the 500 word passage reprinted below, from the fictional novel Beloved, Toni Morrison explains the pent-up anger and aggression of a man who is forced to keep a steady stance when in the presence of his white masters. She uses simple language to convey her message, yet it is forcefully projected. The tone is plaintively matter-of-fact; there is no dodging the issue or obscure allusions. Because of this, her work has an intensity unparalleled by more complex writing.
OUT OF SIGHT of Mister’s sight, away, praise His name, from the smiling boss of roosters, Paul D began to tremble. Not all at once and not so anyone could tell. When he turned his head, aiming for a last look at Brother, turned it as much as the rope that connected to the axle of a buckboard allowed, and, later on, when they fastened the iron around his ankles and clamped the wrists as well, there was no outward sign of trembling at all. Nor eighteen days after that when he saw the ditches; the one thousand feet of earth—five feet deep, five feet wide, into which wooden boxes had been fitted. A door of bars that you could lift on hinges like a cage opened into three walls and a roof of scrap lumber and red dirt. Two feet of it over his head; three feet of open trench in front of him with anything that crawled or scurried welcome to share that grave calling itself quarters. And there were forty-five more. He was sent there after trying to kill Brandywine, the man schoolteacher sold him to. Brandywine was leading him, in a coffle with ten others, through Kentucky into Virginia. He didn’t know exactly what prompted him to try—other th…
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…choolteacher sold him to.” Morrison was calmly narrating Paul D’s ability to maintain physical steadiness, when she casually throws in a reference to a murder attempt. The suddenness of that sentence causes a mental double-take in the reader, since it seemed to come out of nowhere. This carries a forcefulness that cannot be attained through verbosity.
Toni Morrison does not use any words she doesn’t need to. She narrates the story plainly and simply, with just a touch of bleak sadness. Her language has an uncommon power because of this; her matter-of-factness makes her story seem more real. The shocking unexpectedness of the one-sentence anecdotes she includes makes the reader think about what she says. With this unusual style, Morrison’s novel has an enthralling intensity that is found in few other places