Essay Type
Discuss Both Views
This essay type asks you have to discuss both sides of the question and give your opinion. You can use Paragraph 1 for one side + your opinion and Paragraph 2 for the other side + your opinion. Don't forget to support your opinion with examples.
Ideas (For both sides)
In this essay, you need to address both sides of the question. This means that you need to have some good ideas about the pro's and con's of fighting climate change and living with it. You should find answer to some of these questions first:
- How can we fight climate change? Is it even possible?
- What problems can we face when fighting it?
Or
- How can we live with climate change? Is it even possible?
- What are some effective ways to deal with big climate change issues?
Climate Change:
Before we write about climate change, it is a good idea to know some more information about it. You should learn a few ideas about:
- What are the causes of climate change?
- What are the effects (results) of climate change?
The infographic to the right shows a few of the causes and effects of climate change. Try to learn some of them.
Ideas for Writing:
Fight It:
IDEA 1
Prevent Future Disasters
We see climate change all around us. We know what some of its effects will look like. If we let things get worse and worse, we will have to account for massive future disasters, death and destruction. The damage will cost billions if not trillions of dollars and human life. We simply cannot fight against huge storms, heat or flash freezes, and it's better to act now, than to regret later.
IDEA 2
Rich vs. Poor
Climate change will affect disproportionally poor nations than rich nations. It might be the case that some countries like the US, Canada or Australia can deal with climate disasters every year, however there are hundreds of developing and underdeveloped countries that have no resources and power to support their citizen. If we don't act as a global community, we doom smaller countries to be stuck in that climate hell forever.
Live With It:
IDEA 1
Technology To the Rescue
People who support that we can live with climate change, believe in the unlimited potential of technology. They say that we cannot stop progress and development, but we can build and innovate humanity out of the climate crisis with the help of new technological solutions. We will have to invent new machines and tools to help us prevent massive disasters like forest fires, hurricanes and the rise of the sea level.
IDEA 2
Natural Cycle
Although somewhat misinterpreted, this idea says that our planet Earth has natural cycles of getting hotter and cooler. If this is to be believed, and we are in a warming cycle, we just need to live through this period of time and everything will be fine in the long run. Those who believe in this theory, state that it's unnecessary to spend so many resources to prevent something we cannot, and we should instead focus on living with the changes for the time being.
*I do not support this idea, but it is an interesting writing point.
Example Essay:
“Some believe that people should make efforts to fight climate change while others think it is better to learn to live with it.”
- Discuss both views and give your opinion.
Introduction
Climate change has been an unnecessarily controversial topic the last 50 years. Although evidence is mounting up and there is multinational support for fighting the climate disaster, there are still those who dispute what is clear as daylight and advocate to simply try and live with the impending disaster. This essay will take a look at both sides of the argument and explain why we urgently need to change people's perspective on the topic.
Phrases:
Vocabulary:
evidence - proof, facts, data, real information
*IDIOM* - mounting up - increasing, gathering huge amount of something
multinational support - agreement from the whole world, support for an idea
*IDIOM* - clear as daylight - something obvious and easy to see or understand
impending disaster - something terrible that is very close to happen or just about to happen
urgently - quickly, very fast or very soon
people's perspective - people's opinion, people's idea
Linking Phrases / Sentence Beginners:
________ has been an unnecessarily controversial topic...
Although________, there are still those who dispute ________ and advocate to...
This essay will take a look at both sides of the argument and explain why...
Paragraph 1
To begin with, advocates who support living with the climate change disaster, hold a somewhat misguided belief in technology and high disregard for human life. Many of the proponents of this thesis want us, the human beings to simply deal with each massive hurricane or huge forest fire one step at a time. This whole reasoning fails to address the main cause of climate change - human industrialization. What's more, the whole idea is in a way giving up on millions and millions of people's homes and even lives. There are numerous studies and research that show the most hard-hit areas of the world would also be the most populated coastal cities or towns who were built on river beds. This will lead to millions of climate refugees and mass homelessness. It is clear that people supporting this idea, do not account for more than their own personal wellbeing. To prevent this sort of disaster from happening, we must implement systems to fight climate change as soon as possible, and not wait for more climate casualties.
Phrases:
Vocabulary:
misguided belief - wrong belief, misunderstanding a problem
high disregard for human life - not caring about peoples' life
deal with - fight with, solve a problem
Massive - huge, enormous, large
*IDIOM* - one step at a time - dealing with something slowly
main cause - the most important reason why
human industrialization - industrialization is the process of building up more machines and technology to develop our society
giving up on - not caring for, not taking care of
hard-hit areas - places with the most damage from disasters
coastal city - city near the sea or near the ocean
build on river beds - cities built next to or on a river
climate refugee - people moving away from their home because of some kind of climate disaster
mass - in a large number, high
homelessness - people living without homes, often times on the streets
to account for - to care for
personal wellbeing - being happy and safe personally, yourself
implement - to add, to create, to start
as soon as possible - very quickly, fast
climate casualties - people dying from a climate disaster like a hurricane or a flood
Linking Phrases / Sentence Beginners:
To begin with, advocates who support...
Many of the proponents of this thesis want us...
This whole reasoning fails to address...
What's more, the whole idea is...
This will lead to...
It is clear that...
To prevent this sort of disaster from happening, we must...
Paragraph 2
The opposite point of view suggests that we should find ways to fight climate change. This, in my opinion, is the more reasonable and logical approach. If we want to achieve any long-term prosperity on our planet, we need to create systems to fight climate change. Some of those ideas could be to reduce our carbon dioxide emissions and switch to renewable sources of energy like solar, wind and more. Further, we should try to replace all sorts of fossil fuel usage away from the economy. This would mean that some industries would have to be dramatically reduced, however this should not lead to an economic crisis. Moving away from fossil fuels would spur new types of industries that would compete to innovate the world to a better future. Some types of industries like storage battery manufacturing and electric vehicles, are already changing the world in multitude of ways. There will be even more opportunities, as long as we continue to innovate and fight climate change. This is the only way to stop a massive crisis from unfolding.
Phrases:
Vocabulary:
reasonable - based on a good sense, sensible
logical approach - a way to deal with a problem using logic
long-term - for a long time in the future
prosperity - success, people living happily without financial and other worries
carbon dioxide emissions - CO2 gas, a part of air pollution
switch to - change to
renewable sources of energy - power that can be gathered forever
fossil fuel - oil and natural gas come from fossils underground
industry - a big group of business doing the same (e.g. oil industry, financial industry, smartphone industry)
dramatically reduce _______ - a big decrease in something
economic crisis - big problems with the economy of a country
to spur - to crate, to bring out
to innovate - to create new technologies
manufacturing - the making of machines and technological products
electric vehicles - cars, buses, trucks powered by electricity and batteries
multitude of ways - a large number of different ways
opportunities - change for improvement
to unfold - to happen, to start
Linking Phrases / Sentence Beginners:
The opposite point of view suggests that...
This in my opinion, is...
If we want to achieve any...
Some of those ideas could be...
Further we should try to...
_______ , however _______...
Some types of _______ like...
_______, as log as we continue to _______...
This is the only way to...
Conclusion
The events of the climate disaster are already popping up in front of our eyes. Massive floods, huge forest fires and stronger, deadlier hurricanes are hitting unexpectedly every year. We reach higher and higher temperature records every year. It is essential to start dealing with this crisis, so we could offer a better life to our children and the future generation. The only way to achieve this is with long-term planning and consistent fight against climate change and climate change deniers. Hopefully, governments from around the world can get their act together, and unite to fight this treat as a whole global community.
531 Words
*This essay is given as an example answer. It is a little bit longer than it should be, but it illustrates clearly the writer's point.
Phrases:
Vocabulary:
event - a happening
*IDIOM* - to pop up in front of our eyes - something appears quickly in front of us
flood - when rain water or water from a river enters a town
hurricane - a huge storm of wind and rain
future generation - our kids and the people who will live after us
long-term planning - making plans for many years ahead
consistent - without stopping, without delays
climate change deniers - people who do not believe in climate change
*IDIOM* - to get your act together - to become serious, to start working seriously
to unite - to work together with someone, to be together
global community - countries and people working and living together, supporting each-other
Linking Phrases / Sentence Beginners:
It is essential to start dealing with...
The only way to achieve this is...
Hopefully...