Scientific Analysis

In scientific and technical discourse, there are many concepts which are introduced in Scientific American article, “The green apple”, by David Biello. This article was published on June 16, 2010 which is very recently. Over past few years, the scientific issue of global warming is important. This article talks about the problems that we will face in future due to climate change and how some major cities in the U.S. and couple of countries are trying to reduce the harmful effects using different solutions. Some of the solutions are having green roofs on buildings, installing flood doors, cleaning water and encouraging people to use natural gas rather than coal to “reduce emissions of CO2. Some more solutions that New York City has adapted is having hybrid taxis and planting more trees. It also says that along with New York, many other cities and countries are making efforts to reduce the energy use and to save the environment. Indirectly, people are encouraged to use alternate options for energy saving.
Alan Gross talks about contingent which means something that is may or may not certain, just a possibility or something that’s unpredictable according to Webster’s dictionary. In this science journal article, I have noticed the use of the word “predicted” many times. For example, “co-chaired by NASA climate modeler Cynthia Rozenweig predicts a 5 to 10 percent increase in the mean precipitation around New York City by 2080”. Cynthia Rosenzweig is a senior research scientist in NASA and also head of the climate impact group. She was told to advise New York City on adaptations for its critical infrastructure where also she is also part of the committee. This article is not fully scientific but it is justified as acting “scientific”. First, it is published in a science journal in Scientific American. Second, there are lots of different responses from people, which is very reputed scientific source and by City department’s directors like Adam Freed, who is one of certified long term planner. Third, it provides statistics which are not accurate but an average. All of these facts make me think that this article is not truly scientific but it is just acting to be scientific. On the contrary, upon looking at this article, it has the scientific arrangement because the beginning is an introduction, then there is a discussion and at last there are results, which seem like a typical science arrangement.
There are many theories of scientific arrangement which are demonstrated in the article. According to Gross, the theory of Deduction is used well in this article. This article begins by talking about New York flash flooding and then to climate changes. It gives a smooth transition between the cities which are putting effort and finally to specific efforts that have been made and will be making in future. So from very general background, David talks about specific solutions that have been found out. That’s why; I think it’s more like Gross’s deductive theory which can be simply said as descending “from causes to invention of new experiments”. Also in deductive theory, many things are not certain, similarly, in this text, many data are predictions.
Although Marie Secor and Jeanne Fahnestock talks about audience construction being challenging. I think in the higher stases, where the question of value and question of procedure arise, “the audience already aware of the value of addressing a subject in a particular stasis”. The writer already assumes the reader already holding a position with his/her individual values which has derived from his/her experiences. Without lower stasis, higher stasis can’t exist on its own. Similarly, without the fact that our planet is facing all these challenges, the value and procedure, policy can’t be answered.
The concept of Baconian Induction is also used well in the text. Baconian induction is a method of science which moves from contingency to natural necessity. This article begins with causes that are possible and unpredictable due to climate change but ends with solutions that can make the situation better, which in this case are the efforts to reduce energy use.