Name of Presenter/Organizer/Institution: SmithsonianSERC
Title of Presentation/Talk/Event: The History and Physical Science of Global Warming
Name of Series (if this is part of a longer series): Making Sense of Climate Change
URL of Online Presentation/Lecture OR Production Company of Documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeaMiMjvYrw
The major points or concepts of the presentation were to make sense of climate change as a result of increases in CO2 and what evidence shows this. For example, Dr. Charles D. Keeling measured the atmospheric carbon dioxide in the Northern Hemisphere and found the general upwards trend through time in CO2 and its cylcic variation. The presentation also provided the background and history of people who have studied processes or concepts related to climate change and how it has influenced climate change today. Additionally, the presentation explained how CO2 affects climate change and how we know that climate change is a result of man kind rather than a natural process. The presentation also explains the physical science of water vapor and climate change. In essence, increase CO2 concentration results in an increase in global air temperatures which increases water vapors which increases the greenhouse warming. Finally, the presentation compared multiple datasets over time to show what does and does not have a direct affect on climate change.
I found all the main points to be convincing because of all the data and history the presentation provided to back their claims. They referenced several reputable sources including scientists and organizations who are renowned for their contributions to science in general therefore making them good sources to pull from in relation to their findings in climate change. From what I know and have heard, no additional information contradicts the presentation’s main points. However, I do have several instances that do support the presentation’s claims such as SGC courses and research I have done for the class and presentations. I remember talking about water vapor and its effects on the greenhouse effect as well as how humans contribute to CO2 emissions and why we are the cause of global climate change. I don’t remember being given a lot of hardcore evidence such as extensive graphs from research like the presentation I watch had, but the claims in SGC along with what sources were provided by SGC went hand in hand with what the presentation claimed as well. The presentations we had to do in each SGC class did require hardcore evidence and that is where I saw the majority of similarities between the claims in the presentation I watched and the presentation my group and I made. When watching the presentation I didn’t notice any use of logical fallacies or other failures of critical thinking, but rather the presenter would point out logical fallacies in other ways of thinking or counter arguments and point them out to the audience. Additionally, the use of critical thinking was used throughout as the presenter used hard evidence and trends to show how the accumulation of data collected so far shows a general relation between an incraese in CO2 and global warming among other relationships with water vapor and sun radiation. He pointed out how old ways of thinking such as CO2 is not a large enough biproduct of man kind to be considered as a cause for climate change as wrong and flawed in logical conclusions and science behind it. The presentation disproved this by as mentioned previously, providing evidence. Towards the end of the presentation, several live graphs were presented with different variables changing over time. These graphs helped further enhance and visually aid the audience in understanding how everything relates.
Title of Presentation/Talk/Event: Global Warming, Rising Seas and Extreme Levels
URL of Online Presentation/Lecture OR Production Company of Documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWsqYdJWMsY
The major concepts or points of the presentation was to show visually how the globe is being warmed and peaked in the mid 1900’s when industrialization began to really boom. The point is also that the warming is mostly in the north and at night. He shows several temperature anomolies that shows how every year all time high temperatures are being broken. The presentation also shows how the artic is what is especially being affected by global warming. The presentation shows that this is due to warming, but it targets the north more because the artic is surrounded by land which retains heat more than the south pole where it is surrounded by water. The presentation also shows declining snow coverage over time and how mountain glaciers are also losing water. This is vital for some human populations because these mountain glaciers provide energy and water to some populations. The presentation also covered how rising sea levels would hurt several coastal cities and how some countries such as the Netherlands are responding to such changes in sea levels and taking precautions.
The main points of this presentation was to show how the globe is warming up, what areas are being most affected, effects of rising sea levels, and why extreme weather is occurring more frequently in recent decade. I find all the main points to be convincing because of all the information provded by the presentation and the reliable resources which are sited. The visual aids throughout the presentation aided me in seeing how everything relates and the severity of the situation. Additionally, it was clear that the presentation was analyzing both the least and most extreme of situations. In my SGC courses we covered sea levels and extreme weather changing due to climate change. I found that what was mentioned in the courses was in line with the points made by the presentaiton I watched. For example, in SGC we talked about how water vapor and the condensation of water contributes to climate change and how increasing temperatures affects the ice and polar regions of our earth which causes melting and thus rising sea levels. We also mentioned how ice acts as a natural air conditioner becaues of how it reflects the suns rays, but with less ice on earth it leaves a less efficient air conditioner and therefore temperatures will rise quicker. I dind’t find any information in the presentation that contradicted the main points and couldn’t think of any knowledge I have or have heard that would contradict the poinst as well. Finally, I noticed no logical fallacies or failures of critical thinking during the presentation. The presentation also did not point out any logical fallacies in other ways of thinking besides the points being made in the presentation. In all, the presentation was very informative and straight forward in its style. It helped me visually see everything that was being said and the claims appeared to be legit and backed by several different sources to get the same point across.