In class, while I made this presentation, there were a great number of opinions and thoughts brought up about, not only this issue and what it means for our future, but also for how the main stream media portrays this issue. The article that I found on CNN.com was entitled "Polar Bears Resort to Cannibalism as Arctic Ice Shrinks." http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/09/23/arctic.ice/index.html?iref=newssearch What kind of message is that sending the people who would look at this? This is a blatant ploy to pull at the heart strings of the American/World Population. Instead of focusing on the real issue at hand, the ice melting, people will focus on the polar bears. Yes, the polar bears are in incredible danger of becoming extinct, but in the scheme of things, the ice melting is the real issue. The difference is that in the Science Daily article, the focus was instead on the numbers, and the research, and the data. These are things that many people would find "boring" or unexciting. However, these are the facts, these are the issues, and this is what readers are not interested in. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080926194613.htm. It is interesting to see how news has become almost dumb ed down to appeal to people's emotions.
Sources:
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center. "Arctic Saw Fastest August Sea Ice Retreat On Record, NASA Data Show." ScienceDaily 28 September 2008. 6 October 2008
Walton, Marsha. "Polar Bears Resort to Cannibalism as Arctic Ice Shrinks."
CNN 23 Sept. 2008. 29 Sept. 2008
3 comments:
I thought that this presentation was very interesting. The fact that there was more to the subject than just polar bears turning to cannibals was very effective. It definitely makes one aware of just how much of an impact our faults, mistakes, and decisions have on our enviroment. It shows that with every action there are consequences and we should be aware of what they are before and while we act. Obviously, as the human race, we are concerned about how this issue will effect us more so than we are about how it's affecting polar bears, because to us we are the center of the universe. However, the fact that polar bears are decreasing in number is upsetting.
I liked this article because it was more appealing to those of us who don't follow global warming very much. I never take the time to read about the scientific research that global warming is having on the earth, but since this topic focussed more on the polar bears I was more inclined to pay attention. After hearing about the decreasing number of bears in the arctic circle it makes me wonder about the other animals who call that region their home. I am now more inclined to read about global warming updates after hearing this presentation and reading this post.
I agree with tara and kate. I think your presentation was very interesting. The video added a lot to it and I understood what you were trying to do with the video. I think your topic and facts were extremely scary, but that is what kept me interested and listening. I think this topic is something a lot of people do not really know about, or at least do not know all the facts about. It is important that we know what is going on especially people our age because it is going to effect us whether we want to believe it or not. You did a great job touching on all the points, relating it to us, and getting the importance across.
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