English 101

Respond to each of the following questions. You will need to write at least 2 paragraphs, one for each question. When you are done posting your response, reply to at least one classmate in no fewer than 75 words.

1. Some students interpret Heglar’s essay, “I Work in the Environmental Movement: I Don’t Care If You Recycle” as, “There’s no use in recycling (or changing light bulbs, or installing solar panels, or adopting a vegan diet). There’s not much the individual can do.” But is that Heglar’s point? What is the basic argument that Heglar makes in her article? Write a one-paragraph summary of at least 100 words that explains her argument. You need to read to the end of the article to really understand her main idea. It is not what the title implies.

2. Do you agree, disagree, or both agree and disagree with Heglar’s point? Write a one-paragraph argument of at least 100 words that explains your answer to this question.

Here are some examples of student responses to help guide your thinking:

Elsa:

1. The basic argument that Heglar is making is that everyone should be involved in preventing climate change. Whether people do small things or large things, the author wants to show their point on how they wanted everyone to try to make a change. The author also points out that even though small changes do help in some ways, these changes will still not solove the climate crisis we have now in our hands. We must fight against the government and il companies on the topic of using too many fossil fuels. The author shows that these oil companies and governments are giding the fact that they are the issue by stating the we must make those individual changes, as if it si all our individual fault.

2. I completely agree with Heglar’s statements. The issue on the Enviroment has been one that has been discussed by variou people without a real big change happening. I believe that a huge movement needs to be started and people must fight against government and oil companies. I agreed with Heglar when they stated that it is important for the U.S. as the largest emission producing country in the world to work very hard to lower the pollution for other countries that might get the worst after-effects of this. I loved the author’s thoughts that stated that each individual needs to do some type of change to spark a movement against those oil companies and the government to make a significant change for our future.

Maria:

Hi Elsa. I agree that while changes like switching light bulbs and using fewer plastic bags are simple but helpful contributions, you can strive to make bigger changes in your own time. However, bith changes are difficult when so many essential services, like transportation and power depend on fossil fuels. On the other hand, we should not give up on making those everyday contributions like using CFL light bulbs or using reusable bags for groceries.

I agree with both you and Helglar. Making environmentally friendlier choices is never a bad decision. However, it is unrealistic to think that we can force ourselves to solve global warming on our own, especially when the damage we are supposed to fix is not coming from us individuals in the first place. If the most damage is coming from a handful of corporations as Heglar says, then those corporations need to be held accountable for those actions, as does our government. s ds.

Your discussion post will be graded according to the following criteria:

80% – Thoughtful original post that answers both of the questions above (at least 200 words)

A LINK TO HEGLAR’S ESSAY https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/2019/5/28/18629833/climate-change-2019-green-new-deal

ANSWER

Climate Change

What Heglar is trying to put across is to let people know that we have an environmental problem worldwide that needs to be addressed urgently and that the answers to these problems lie with us. Human activities play a significant role in climate change and have been ignored for a long time, and it is seriously affecting ourselves and the environment. Despite scientists’ attention to the irreversible harm to the environment, individuals have failed to take appropriate steps in reducing environmental damage. The author pinpoints where these problems primarily emerge from poor government policies. Heglar argues that climate change is a huge problem that affects weather patterns. These weather patterns turn into serious events such as intense hurricanes, floods, and storms frequently witnessed in most parts of the world. I agree with him that it is high time that we all shift our attention to addressing environmental harm by making personal sacrifices for our welfare and that of the forthcoming generations.

I agree with Heglar’s essay that everybody should take a step toward protecting the environment. Change starts with each one of us, and it is high time we learned to make personal sacrifices. I agree that carbon dioxide is the climate’s worst enemy, proven by scientists and has generated a massive impact of climate change. For instance, there is a lot of carbon pollution in the US due to industrial related activities. People should be cautious about their daily activities to ensure minimally or zero harm to the ecosystem. We need to take personal responsibility for the present and future generations and sometimes make sacrifices for a better tomorrow. There is a dire need for everyone to invest their time and efforts to accelerate environmental protection.