A new collection of scientific studies recently examined whether climate change was the cause of a series of extreme weather events last year, such as, droughts, floods, hurricanes, and storms. However, the study resulted in mixed findings that were not as consistent as they had hoped. The scientists were not able to find the effect of climate change on every event nor did they find that climate change played a consistent role in each type of event. The collection of these studies included a set of 32 studies that observed 28 extreme weather events of 2014. Stephanie Herring, an editor of the report, stated that the results “are pretty evenly split, about 50-50 for those that did and did not find a role for climate change in the event’s likelihood or intensity.” She also stated that the strength of the role of climate change on an event depended on the type of event. For example, human caused climate change increased the intensity of heat waves, and lack of rainfall due to climate change caused the Syrian drought. Researchers concluded that this study was generally beneficial because now the question is no longer whether climate change influences extreme weather events. New studies can now look into the magnitude and extent of climate change influences.
This article directly confronts society’s ongoing debate of the impact of climate change on the weather. From this study, it is made clear which extreme weather events are caused by climate change and which events are not. Additionally, according to an author of one of the studies, Heidi Cullen, these efforts to analyze the effects of climate change are important for planning responses to certain extreme weather events. Now with these 32 studies published, people know which events to actually blame on climate change.
I thought that this article was well written, but it lacked detail and specificity. I would have learned more from this article if it had included more specific details regarding the effects of climate change on each type of extreme weather event, rather than just a few events. Also, I believe that it would have been effective for the author to discuss the impact of climate change on the weather in different parts of the world, and if some regions are more effected than others. Although there are a few improvements to be made, the article was clear and concise and made the main point quite clear. Schwartz also did a nice job of pulling the reader in with his intriguing opening to the article by stating several questions. Overall, this article expanded my knowledge on climate change and how it causes certain extreme weather events.
Citation:
Schwartz, John. "Scientists Study Links Between Climate Change and Extreme Weather." The New York Times. The New York Times, 05 Nov. 2015. Web. 07 Nov. 2015. <http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/06/science/climate-change-extreme-weather-global- warming.html?ref=earth&_r=0>.
Beth’s review of her article was very comprehensive and well-written. Firstly, it was very specific in the details that she provided, such as the number of studies that were taken into account. Her detailed information allowed the reader to gain more substantial information and added credibility in her summary. She also did a great job in her criticism of the article when she pointed out its lack of specificity. I also think that detail is crucial when speaking of complex matters such as climate change, and her assessment of the article was accurate. Despite the complicated results of the studies, Beth successfully explained the outcome in a clear and concise manner. I was able to understand that while some weather events are caused by climate change, some are not affected. While many expect to hear a definitive answer from such a study, it was clearly explained that it is not as clear-cut as it may seem. The clarity of her explanation made her summary even more effective.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Beth did an amazing job reviewing the article, there were some improvements that could be considered. She mentioned climate change multiple times within her review, but she did not suggest whether or not humans had a part in contributing to that. If she mentioned this information within her last paragraph or summary, I think that the audience could have applied the information she provided in their lives better. While she had many informative details within her summary, there was only one quote explaining the situation. Incorporating more quotes may have added even more information and credibility to her review.
Reading Beth’s article review was a great learning experience because I became more aware of the different issues that surround climate change. I chose to read about this topic because it is a matter of critical importance in today’s society and our future. Knowing how climate change, which humans may be contributing to, will make me more conscious on how my actions affect the environment.
Citation:
Schwartz, John. "Scientists Study Links Between Climate Change and Extreme Weather." The New York Times. The New York Times, 05 Nov. 2015. Web. 07 Nov. 2015. .
You did a good job clearly conveying the important points of the article. Your explanation of the findings was easy to understand. Mentioning the drought that occurred in Syria also provides a good example of climate change's effects and ties the article in with current events. You closed out your first paragraph linking the findings to the bigger picture. This helps the reader understand the findings in the global context. The review could have been more heavy hitting if you included some examples that were closer to home. Tying the findings into storms that the reader may have experienced will provide a personal connection to the article. Also, talking about the author's credentials would increase the credibility of the information shown. I was surprised that the amount of events affected by climate change was as low as 50/50. The media tends to blame every natural disaster on global warming, but this study found that it is often not the case.
ReplyDeleteCitation:
Schwartz, John. "Scientists Study Links Between Climate Change and Extreme Weather." The New York Times. The New York Times, 05 Nov. 2015. Web. 07 Nov. 2015. .
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ReplyDeleteBeth,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your review of the article “Scientists Study Links Between Climate Change and Extreme Weather” and I think you did a great job. Specifically, I liked how you included how many studies were done by the scientists for this topic, giving me a pretty good understanding of the lengths gone to by the scientists conducting this study. Another thing I enjoyed about this review was how you stated the results of the studies as explained by the author of the article, and saying that the results were pretty evenly split, which helped me in understanding the specific effects in this study. One last thing I thought you did well in was the manner in which you explained the exact impact of the studies, discussing how they are beneficial and also how this study can be continued.
As much as I liked this review, I feel that a few things could be improved upon. For example, I would have liked to have learned a little more about how exactly humans have an effect on the change in climate, for this would be good information to look at and apply to our own lives. Another thing I would have liked is if you included which specific storms were studied, so that the reader could connect at a personal level to the topic discussed in the article a little more closely.
Ultimately, I found the review very interesting and intriguing as a whole. One specific thing that really caught my attention and was interesting to me were the results of the studies. I found it interesting that the results were pretty evenly split, for climate change is usually looked at to be a reason for natural disasters and storms.
Schwartz, John. "Scientists Study Links Between Climate Change and Extreme Weather." The New York Times. The New York Times, 05 Nov. 2015. Web. 07 Nov. 2015. .
I felt that Beth did a good job at her article review. First, I enjoyed how she included a quote from expert Stephanie Herring. I enjoyed seeing an actual quote as opposed to paraphrasing, and I felt that it helped enhance my understanding. Second, I enjoyed how she tied in how climate change caused the Syrian drought. It was very nice to have a real event that we can research be cited as an example as opposed to simply listing possible effects of climate change. Lastly, I enjoyed how the article showed events that were and were not caused by climate change. It made me feel as if it was unbiased and not trying to push an agenda in either direction.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that I would’ve liked to see was more focus on the controversy surrounding climate change. Although the review touches upon the fact that it is a hot button issue, I believe that the controversy could be given more attention, given that it is one of the greatest debates currently facing our nation. I would have also liked to know what is causing this drastic climate change and what can be done to stop it. Although the article may not have discussed this aspect, I believe that it is the most important as it holds the solution to the problems that were are currently facing and will be facing in the future.
For me, the greatest impact of this was that there was solid data linking events to climate change and showing that climate change had no impact on other events. It was extremely refreshing to see something that offered two perspectives, and it allowed me to look at this issue in a much more rational way. Going forward, I will look at the issue of climate change with politics aside in order to truly understand the issue. It is much better to look at climate change from this perspective than from the perspective that we are all going to die or that climate change does not exist.
I thought that Beth did a good job reviewing this article which seemed to cover a large subject matter. I thought that Beth did a good job at making the credibility of this study known by explaining how there were 32 studies done and published. I also thought that Beth did a good job of giving a specific example of how human caused climate change affects extreme weather by including the example of the Syrian drought. I thought that this provided a link on a more personal level, because people can see how their actions dealing with climate change really do have detrimental effects on other people and regions. Lastly, I liked that Beth stated how this is a turning point for scientists because they now know that these extreme whether events are being caused by climate change, and the focus is being shifted to the magnitude of these events. I think that this is important because we should seek solutions to lessen the magnitude of these destructive events.
ReplyDeleteAlthough this review was very well written, there were some improvements that I thought could have been made. First, Beth said that it was split 50-50, and I think this statement could have been made better by creating a clearer distinction between what types of events are and aren't caused by climate change. Also, I thought that Beth should have expanded more when mentioning human caused climate change. I think it would be important to know the biggest factors that humans contribute that cause these extreme whether conditions, so we can work to improve upon them.
I chose this because climate change is an important topic now, especially with the presidential election. This is an important topic to understand and for people to address to try to solve or improve. I think that in seeing what a great impact our actions have on other parts of the world and the detrimental effects, I will be more careful about the things I use, such as transportation. This expands my view on what a vast problem climate change has become.
Beth, I really enjoyed reading your review of the article “Scientists Study Links Between Climate Change and Extreme Weather.” You did a very good job in weaving several statistic from the article into your summary which aided to my understanding of the issue. Also, I found your critique of the article in the last paragraph to be very insightful to the problems with the article and what to look into to learn more about the problem. And finally, your analysis of the issue in the second paragraph clarified whatever questions I was left with after the summary.
ReplyDeleteHowever, there were a few areas where you could have improved you review. In your summary you go from the view that the events were not consistent with climate change to the view that these event have clarified the effects of climate change. A few more sentences tying these ideas together would make your review a little clearer. Also, I would have liked it if you had described some of the the events which you mention to give us a better understanding of what the scientists are studying to make their claims and what constitutes as an extreme weather phenomenon.
What I took from this review was the amount of work and effort scientists have to put into solving basic claims. It took 32 different, individual studies, for scientists to determine which cases were legitimate climate change issues so that they can continue onto the magnitude of the effect climate change.
Schwartz, John. "Scientists Study Links Between Climate Change and Extreme Weather." The New York Times. The New York Times, 05 Nov. 2015. Web. 07 Nov. 2015. .
ReplyDeleteAwesome job with this review, Beth! You summarized everything clearly and seemingly with ease, covering all of the main points of the article without including any extraneous details. Not only that, but you were able to establish a connection to how this topic affects human beings today, something that many people struggle with in these current events. Deadly natural disasters are of course more than applicable to all of us! Any knowledge we can glean on the topic is a huge win for humankind and safety groups. Thirdly, your writing style was very easy to read and follow, yet remained extremely informative. This is an extremely hard quality to find in nonfiction writings, which are usually either much oversimplified or much overcomplicated; this hints at a real knack you have for writing intellectual reviews!
Beth, it's so hard to think of any area which could benefit from improvement! But if anything, you may benefit from some more outside information in general. I’m still not fully clear on how the scientists determined whether or not these natural disasters were caused by climate change, and wonder if it’s one of those topics of science whether a great disparity of opinions can all be seen as valid, or if one answer is concretely correct. Secondly, although the style itself was great, the professionalism of the article could have been improved with the inclusion of more expert quotes. Although not totally completely necessary, it overall would have just legitimized your argument and made it stronger.
But on the whole, this review was astounding. Your writing and analysis blew me away. It really taught me a lot about the importance of climate change affecting natural disasters, a topic I was of course aware of before but not very knowledgeable about. After reading this, I'll be sure to take into consideration how different things in nature all affect each other, even things like climate change and hurricanes. Of course, this also makes me think about my own carbon footprint and effect on the environment, and forces me to strive for the umpteenth time to treat the earth well for the sake of all of us. Overall, I chose this article because of my lack of knowledge of the topic, and am extremely glad that this is the one I read. Thanks, Beth, for giving me such a great read!
For my current event comment, I read Beth’s review of the article, “Scientists Study Links Between Climate Change and Extreme Weather” by John Schwartz. Beth did several things extremely well in her review. First, she included a great number of details in her summary paragraph. This left me, as the reader, feeling well-informed and prepared to move onto the analysis paragraph. In addition, it provided enough background facts that the rest of the review made sense. Next, she incorporated a solid, important quote into her summary paragraph which backed up the points she made and put direct article support behind them. For example, when she stated, “are pretty evenly split… for those that did and did not find a role for climate change in the event’s likelihood or intensity”, she was, in essence, showing exactly how the article depicted the results of the study. Finally, she did a great job evaluating the source/the article itself in her third paragraph. After reading the article, I can truly say that her conclusions about the author and the article were wholly accurate. Often underrated, this paragraph really spoke to me about the deep understanding Beth grasped relating to the article.
ReplyDeleteYour review was outstanding, Beth. Having said that, I have two points of constructive criticism. First, I think that it would be helpful, especially for a review like this, for you to evaluate the source of the article. Climate change and the studies that go with them are often highly politicized, and certain sources manipulate the results of their study to suit their interests. I think that is an important distinction to make. Is this possibly the case here? Also, I would suggest perhaps explaining exactly what climate change is and how it relates to humans. While most readers understand the basics, a little background reminder in that area could have helped the reader understand your connection paragraph and allow the review to flow from idea to idea better.
Overall, I learned a lot from your review. Specifically, you really forced me to see another point of view on this whole global warming debate. Global warming certainly exists, as there is overwhelming evidence for it, but sometimes we (as a society) get carried away with global warming and exaggerate its effects. It is a monster, yes, but we don’t need to make it into a super-monster if it isn’t one just yet. All in all, great job Beth.
Great job Beth! I thought that your article was very interesting and pretty relevant considering this weird warm weather. I thought you did a good job with the summary. It was very clear and easy to follow. I really liked how you added data from the article. I thought that it gave a better understanding of the article. I also like how you added a quote from the article. I always suggest to do that because I think that it gives the writer great credibility. You also were very good at including different examples! It gave me a better understanding overall.
ReplyDeleteI think that you could improve on is talking about more relevant storms. This way the reader can have a more personal understanding. Another thing that could have made your article better is describing the effect that humans have on climate change. Because humans are a major part of it.
I think that climate change is such an important topic to be discussing now. With 70 degree weather in November, it is obvious that global warming is occurring. That is why I chose to read this article. I was glad that I did read this article because I didn’t have a great understanding of climate change’s effect on natural disasters!