Touman Model Argument about the Environment - Term Paper Example

Client’s 19 October 2009 The environment is becoming worse with each passing day; there are several factors that are responsible towards the degradation of our environment. Some of the most factors that need to be worked upon are pollution, disposal of waste material in an unorganized way and in addition to this there are many more factors that need our immediate attention. This paper will throw light upon the Toulmin model argument and in addition to this what specific actions should Christians take regarding the environment will also be will also be provided in this paper. The ozone layer is depleting with each passing day and this is a very disturbing environmental issue, this means that human race will shortly come to an end should it not be dealt with properly. The ozone layer is pivotal when it comes to the survival of human beings, it protects us from harmful radiations emitted by the sun and its deterioration is a very big cause of worry for the human race. An Insight on Toulmin Model of Argument Stephen Toulmin was a British Philosopher and in addition to this, he was also a realist who developed a model of argument which will be incorporated in this paper. He divided any argument into six most important sections. He started off with data and thought that it was the most important in putting forward an argument. It is all about the evidence available at hand and the same makes up data. Claim comes next and it is often the thesis of the argument. Warrants follows and it is about the logical statements that back up the argument. The next important things are qualifier, Rebuttal and Backing. This was how he put across his model of argument and the same will be incorporated in this paper. Data Wind and Solar Power in several Churches The depleting environmental conditions have instilled a lot of awareness amongst the masses, Christians have taken certain specific steps in order to protect and restore the environment. There are myriad Churches across the world that have installed solar and wind power instruments, this again goes to show the increased level of awareness that prevails amongst the masses. Solar and wind energy is renewable and it causes no harm to the environment. There are several vehicles that run on solar energy these days; companies like Toyota have made an effort to make cars that run only on solar energy. This initiative has to be recognized and extolled, extolling this will only help the environment and it will also encourage other companies to follow in the footsteps of Toyota. Even Wind energy is a renewable form of energy and it causes no damage to the environment whatsoever. This is a very good initiative taken by the Christians and it must be followed by the people of all the religions only then will this Earth be safeguarded against the environmental issues that are posing a very big threat to our existence. Claim There are several steps that are being taken by the Christians in order to make the environmental conditions better; the level of awareness has increased drastically and the people have started realizing how important the environment is to our survival. There are several Churches across the globe, that make it a point to plant as many trees as possible. The more trees we plant the better it is for us and this has to be understood by people of all religions, not only Christians. “According to Genesis 1, after creating the land, God calls the Earth “good” (Genesis 1:10). In other words, the life-sustaining habitats are indeed good, and should be so considered by all Christians. God fills the habitats by calling into existence the great forests, plants, and fruit trees, and then calls this vegetation “good” (Genesis 1:12). It is necessary, therefore, for us today to consider our forests as “good” and valuable, and to care properly for them. Later the Genesis account describes God as filling the sea basin habitats with aquatic creatures of all kinds, and the atmospheric environment with birds, all pronounced “good” (Genesis 1:20-25). God completes the work of filling the land environment by creating animals and by His crowning work, the creation of human beings who display His image (Genesis 1:26). God declares all of these to be “very good” (Biblical Cases of Ecology) Warrants “Overgrazing is also frequently practiced by poor people in many parts of the world as they pick the hillsides bare in their search for firewood. A Zimbabwe newspaper reported that “a lot of villagers in the area were cutting down trees randomly for burning their homemade bricks, usually near water sources like dams.” The article commented: “We are concerned because a lot of people are now preferring to build their houses using bricks than mud and a lot of trees have been destroyed near dams and boreholes. We hope that a better way of burning the bricks should be looked into. Titus Matemavi writes concerning biomass overgrazing on the African continent: “It is disheartening to note that abuse of nature in Zimbabwe is apparent in several ways. First, there is a lot of careless cutting down of trees and unnecessary burning of grass. Trees are used as poles to build wooden huts and storage places, in addition to being used as firewood. In rural areas or communal lands, firewood is the main source of energy for cooking and warming houses during winter. It is also the source of light during the night. As a result, many places in the rural areas which were once thick forests (the pride of Africa) have now been reduced to semi-desert areas.” (Villagers Accused of Environmental Damage) Qualifiers The above part of the paper threw light upon the steps taken by the Christians in order to safeguard the environment. There should be more such steps in order to ensure that the environment is protected only then will be sure of surviving on this planet, we have to be assiduous when it comes to planting trees and we have to ensure that we don’t pollute the environment. There is still a lot of work that needs to be done in order to ensure that this planet is safeguarded, it is anything but comfortable as far as the level of pollution on this planet is concerned. The Christians have taken a very good initiative and it should be taken forward by all the people regardless of their religion. Once we all work towards this, we will certainly succeed in all our endeavours. Rebuttal and Backing The paper gave a very good introduction about what efforts have been taken by the Christians and to conclude it is very fair to say that more such efforts have to be taken in order to ensure that we reach a safety zone as far as the environment is concerned. There should be more trees that need to be planted and this should not only be done by Christians. People belonging to every religion must make it a point to plant more trees only this will save us from the boom that might be lowered should we fail to protect the environment. Works Cited 1. Biblical Cases of Ecology. In Christians and the Environment http://dialogue.adventist.org/articles/14_1_baldwin_e.htm (Accessed on 19 October 2009) 2. Villagers Accused of Environmental Damage. In The Herald (June 24, 1996), pp. 9,10. Bibliography Bernard J. Nebel and Richard T. Wright, Environmental Science: The Way the World Works, 4th ed. (Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1993), p. 552. William Shea, “The Controversy Over the Commandments,” in Journal of the Adventist Theological Society 11 (2000)1-2: 227. Charles E. Bradford, “Stewardship,” in Handbook of Seventh-day Adventist Theology, ed. by Raoul Dederen (Hagerstown, Md.: Review and Herald Publ. Assn., 2000), p. 662. Outline Thesis Statement Toulmin Model of Argument Proper explanation of six different segments of Toulmin model of argument Endeavours of Christians in order to safeguard the environment Appropriate Quotes in the paper Conclusion Works Cited Bibliography Read More