First Print Source Analysis

This picture was taken on March 25th, 2008 (YESTERDAY!). A ice shelf (The Wilkins Shelf) the size of seven Manhattans broke off from the main Antarctic land ice because of global warming.

BBC article "Global Warming - An Overview"

Claim:

Global warming, which can no longer be disputed as nonexistent, has clear scientific causes and an abuse of these causes has effected humans because of the pecific, detrimental changes in the earth's atmosphere

Evidence:

1. "Globally 1998 was the warmest year ever recorded and eight of the ten warmest years fell in the last decade. Global ice sheets have decreased, so has global snow cover."
2. "...this is the most rapid rise in temperature since the end of the last ice age. So evidence is mounting that we, mankind are affecting the global climate, and the current warming has exceeded the natural fluctuations."
3. "Since the industrial revolution amounts have increased by 30%."

Why the claims are warranted:

All three claims cite scientific, hard evidence in order to achieve being warranted. The first provides quantitative evidence to show us, almost visually, that we have had such a great effect on climate change. The second one shows us that we are heading into a horrible period in human history if we are not careful, using qualitative evidence. The third one provides quantitative evidence about the ways in which we have increased our "spending" and the correlation that can be made with the global warming increases.