Merrill Waterhouse Case

Untitled

Leticia Bañuelos

COM172

June 2, 2104

Merrill Waterhouse

Abstract

This research paper is about the ideas, views and opinions of climate change. It further explores where the ideas originated from and what it means to the different types of people from different places and more importantly why we disagree so much about it. Climate change continues to remain a controversial subject amongst many and takes on a different meaning and purpose to everyone one. This research paper will also examine how mass media, politics and private groups in the fossil fuels industry have impacted our views on climate change.

Working Title

Why do we disagree so much about climate change? Climate change remains one of the most controversial subjects amongst politicians and their constituents. Yet with all the scientific evidence proving climate change, why do we continue to struggle against the evidence? Sometimes the truth is just too hard to face and when facts are distressing it is easier to just ignore it. Rather than fearing climate change or regarding it as a problem; climate change should be viewed as a concept, a world culture which reveals diverse individual and cooperative principles, attitudes and values about ways of living in the world.

Climate change is not a recent problem; the subject of climate change began in the early 19th century when ice ages and other natural changes in paleoclimate were first suspected and the natural greenhouse effect was first identified (Wikipedia 2014, May 5). This probably instigated the debate by scientists that humans, our lifestyle, played a significant role in climate change. Over the years, the topic of climate change began to mutate into different ideas, viewpoints and theories. In the 1970s, an increase in terminologies defining and or mislabeling climate change began to emerge and so did the denial and skepticism (Wikipedia, 2014, May 5). The public began to take notice of terms like “pollution, greenhouse gases, emission and carbon dioxide.” The public also began be inundated with information from various sources that opened the door to misinterpretation and misinformation of climate change.

Articles from the mainstream media began to surface; such as an article from Newsweek magazine. The magazine published an article that “warned” not educated the public about climate change. The article was published in 1975 and the story stated “ominous signs that the Earth’s weather patterns have begun to change.” This was followed by other large media publications either