Chapter 4-6

Chapters 4-6

A discussion seems to have stirred whether or not the author of this book keeps going off instead of focusing on the theme of the story. I tend to disagree for with what people have been blogging about. I think the story is not in any way interesting, which is against her journalism and writing skills. That I do agree with, but I feel like it's different when you're writing a book. She needs to somewhat get off track for a few reasons. One of those reasons is that she doesn't want to bore those who think would think what she's writing about starts to make you fall asleep. She's trying to wake you up. Whether if it's with comedy or just a sidenote about something, she's trying. I ask you to go out and try to write a book about global warming and see how entertaining you can make it. For example she said in chapter 4 about the Comma Butterfly. She describes the larval looking like a bird dropping which is a funny image and keeps you entertained as well as informed.

As far as the rest of chapter 4 is concerned I feel as if she could have explained more about the butterfly migrgrating due to the warmer weather. Go into further detail on how it's global warming is that main reason for the butterfly to migrate.

When chapter 5 rolled around she would start to right more factual information. Maybe she could have changed the way she jumped from one thing to another within the chapter, but she felt it was the time to get almost 100% serious about the topic and try to win you over there. It is confusing, but I feel the previous chapters were somewhat of a set up in order to get you to understand better when she actually talks about global warming and different areas involving it. It can still be confusing, but I feel that was the point of the previous chapters.

I guess you can say chapter 6 is more of an entertainment chapter somewhat. Even though she talks about the rise of sea levels and what not, she does talk about the idea of floating houses eventually. Due to the water levels rising, people would have to eventually live in floating houses. Even though it was somewhat serious, I would assume a lot of people would take that as a joke. Of course that would not be fun at all once a storm hits, but she tried to make it entertaining, atleast compared to the more seriousness of chapter 5.

Chapter 2 & 3

Some of the strongest pieces of evidence for the theory of global warming within chapter 2 and 3

One of the strongest pieces of evidence adduced in supporting of the theory of global warming are when Kolbert talks about mosquitoes. She talks about Bradshaw and Holzapfel when they look back on their own files of mosiquitoes. They originally thought the mosquitoes were genetically changing. Turns out as the climate had warmed, those mosquitoes that had remained active until later in the fall had enjoyed a selective advantage, presumably because they had been able to store a few more days worth of recources for the winter and had passed this advantage on to their offspring, and so on.

Also the glaciers melting is a strong piece of evidence for the theory of global warming. It has got to the point where shipment has ceased in Iceland because the islands remain icebound in the Summer. A third of the population has died in Vatnajokull. The "sun-home glacier" is 1,1000 ft. shorter than it was just a decade ago. One colleague for the Icelandic Glaciological Society believes that the ice caps will be so small on the highest mountains with the mass of the glaciers gone.

I believe that evidence is slowly but surely improving by each chapter to help prove more and more about global warming. We're still only up to chapter 4 now; time will tell how this ends up. Her objectivity may be a little impartial but the same thing with that; there's plenty of pages left to get a better perspective and opinion of Kolbert's objectivity. Her explainatory powers are good because I am understanding stuff that I would normally never understand.

Chapter 1

Field Notes From a Catastrophe - Man, Nature, and Climate Change by Elizabeth Kolbert

The beginning of the book was interesting to me. The subject of the book I felt would have bored me. The start was a good enough beginning to keep me going besides the fact that it's homework.
Within the very first line of the story about watching the icebergs flowing by was funny and I personally believe that comedy is always a great way to start a story.


For the most part I thought the writing was good. I'm sure they're some who are against how the author writes and it could be biased. Well for one it's chapter one. There's plenty of book left for someone to give their opinion on if Kolbert is biased or not.

In my opinion what the author is doing is a great form of journalism. When I say this I mean by going out there in the middle of everything and then later writing about it. Getting into the situation is always a great way to learn about an area or anything for that matter.

For those who are not just experienced in or have vast knowledge of the subjects discussed in the book, I think she does a good job in trying to keep someone like me who doesn't have much knowledge on the subject interested. Whether it's little things like when she talks to Morris Kiyutelluk and mentions that his last name means without a wooden spoon. It could through you off for a second, but it's a book. When I say it's a book I mean that it's not just straight foward information. There needs to be some entertainment involved with the book.

I also think that Kolbert provides great background information on places she went to. For one when she talks about Fairbanks, Alaska. She writes about the fires that go one for months and months there and how you need to wear these glasses to protect yourself when you are out there. More great information she gives is how there was a fire where 6.3 million acres had been incenerated.