Ralph Lemuel Lopez Santos

Price

Writing 39C

10-10-2017

HCP Research Proposal

Change is good, right? For my Historical Conversations Project, I would like to cover the

issue about climate change in the environment. More specifically, I want to answer the question

How crucial is it to understand climate change and should people worry about it?. As of right

now, the only instance of climate change I understand is global warming. I believe this project

gives me the opportunity to research to learn about global warming and other types of climate

change experts talk about. This topic interests me because every single person in the world is

affected by climate change. Whether it is as simple as a month being significantly hotter than the

year before or as devastating as the past hurricanes around the United States as CNNs Wayne

Drashs article Yes, climate change made Harvey and Irma worse covers, this issue affects a a

drastic portion of the population not just in the United States. The CNN article features a quote

from Katharine Hayhoe, director of the Climate Science Center at Texas Tech University,

explaining:

"The most dangerous myth that we have bought into as a society is not the myth that

climate isn't changing or that humans aren't responsible," she said. "It's the myth that 'It

doesn't matter to me.' And that's why this is absolutely the time to be talking about the

way climate change amplifies or exacerbates these natural events. This brings it home."

(Lavik 14)

In addition, one of the outside issues surrounding climate change that intrigues me the

most is the opposing views of people regarding its legitimacy. Trygve Lavik, part of the

Philosophy department at the University of Bergen in Norway, created a passionate article

highlighting moral reasons for making climate denialism illegal. (Lavik 1). Laviks article

suggests the climate change denial exists, and he wants to end or minimize its supporters. I find

it interesting that people and popular figures denounce the idea of climate change despite

numerous studies being done strongly suggesting its presence. Climate change is a perfect topic

for our course theme because our specific section highlights the connection between humans and

the environment, and the climate is a global phenomenon. This topic affects people in multiple

aspects: politically, socially, and economically. In return, this gives me the opportunity to

research a topic that can be meaningful in the near future.

 Works Cited

Drash, Wayne. Yes, climate change made Harvey and Irma worse. CNN, Cable News

Network, 19 Sept. 2017, www.cnn.com/2017/09/15/us/climate-change-hurricanes-

harvey-and-irma/index.html.

Lavik, Trygve. "Climate Change Denial, Freedom of Speech and Global Justice." Nordic Journal

of Applied Ethics / Etikk I Praksis, vol. 10, no. 2, July 2016, pp. 75-90.