“India, wise up and clear the air”
Amanda Dettmann
Period 3
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-climate-carbon-india-edit-1213-20141212-story.html?dssReturn&z=04096

1. What is the editorial’s central claim?
    Since India is a fairly large country, its decisions on production and the environment are critical to the rest of the world. India needs to agree to fight greenhouse gases in order to save the environment. The problem is India and other developing countries say they have the right to pollute; since these countries have recently industrially advanced, they argue that the rest of the world has been industrialized and polluting over a period of 200 years. These countries argue that they have the right to catch up, but the author disagrees. Every citizen in the world has the duty to respect the earth and take care of the environment. To decrease global warming, global greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced. If India commits to using non-fossil-fuel power like China has, the air will be much cleaner. The Chinese President Xi Jinping has agreed to use solar and wind power and cap China’s emissions. The author agrees that China is headed in the right direction and has taken a huge step forward by admitting to all its environmental problems. China has already bought green energy companies, which will provoke India to join in and help keep air clean. Debates will occur in Lima, Peru, this week for other countries to try and convince India to reduce emissions.

2. What is a significant piece of evidence used to support the argument?
    The pollution in New Delhi, India, is worse than that of Beijing according to a World Health Organization study in 2014. Although China and the United States are the top producers of carbon emissions from coal, cars, and factories, India still ranks as the filthiest country. India must reduce fossil fuels and gases from factories in order to reduce the amount of pollution that is emitted into the atmosphere. Environmental consequences have already occurred, but they are sure to increase if India doesn’t think about changing its ways. A clean earth is more important than economic growth for factories, especially in the long term.

3. What is your opinion of the claim? Add your voice.
    I agree that India has to rethink their factory system emissions and how many chemicals they add to the atmosphere each year. India does not have the right to keep increasing emissions even though it has industrialized later than other countries. We need to realize that every time we pollute, we are risking future harm to the environment. We are potentially affecting climate change and hurting wildlife. India needs to stop producing so many greenhouse gases because these gases affect the rest of the world, especially since India is such a large country. Also, India is spreading morally wrong messages to its people. India believes that money is more important than saving the earth. We cannot put a price on how important our land and planet is. India will be sorry in the future if it doesn’t reassess environmental standards. Once you hurt the earth, undoing the damage is almost impossible. Each country is responsible for protecting our planet.