Reflective Essay

Cheng Hang
Ms. Booker
25 April 2009
Reflective Paper
To reflect on one’s essay is to in turn review the choices made and explored within the text. A research paper contains facts and statistics that back up the writer’s main purpose. These facts and statistics come from different sources such as books, articles, and journals. These books, articles, and journals not only should contain important information, but contain information that is accurate. These accurate sources are called “scholarly” sources, and they are major part of my research essay. I’ve used these articles mainly to back up and inform readers of the context of my essay. Following the guidelines for English 102 and then trying to meet them I then articulated my choices for the stakeholders and other various areas within my essay.
After reviewing the guidelines within the sheet presented at the beginning of the semester I worked to see that these goals would be met. Through careful analysis and thinking I went to “engage texts through analysis, interpretation, and critical inquiry”. With my topic being about green technology and creating green jobs, I went through the process of explaining what these green jobs were. Then I went through critical analysis by identifying the negatives of certain renewable energies such as wind power. I stated that wind power has “only few models that have the capability to capture about %50 of the energy”. Rather than state only positives I went through careful analysis and identified the multiple negatives about wind technology. I not only stated what the author presented, but also interpreted what he was stating through a more detailed voice. In contribution to analysis, interpretation, and critical inquiry I also stated numerous stakeholders that are associated with the creation of green jobs. A few examples of the stakeholders that I presented was the United States Government, the American people, and the companies associated with the creation of green jobs. Also my research was for the most part based on facts and statistics used from different authors such as Andrew Goudie,and journalists from the U.S News and World Report.
After reading further down the English 102 Final Portfolio Assessment sheet, I can see that all my statistics and facts about global warming led up to my controlling purpose being fully revealed and then thoroughly investigated. I also included a significant amount of background information about the different types of alternative energies out there. Ranging from wind energy to solar energy, I touched based on the major alternative energies out there. I have explained the necessary background information needed to let the readers create a decision that will be based on facts and statistics rather than those based on popularity and inaccurate facts. Furthermore, I used the MLA style of writing to formulate this paper and used direct quotes, and/or articulate paraphrases from the different authors used within my paper. In addition to the information presented, I created a works cited page that provided the bibliography of all the information used in my essay. The events that were presented in my paper about global warming, alternative energies, Nye, and Vonnegut led up to my presenting of my initial question, Are green jobs really being created? I believe that I have met firmly the requirements for the English 102 Final Portfolio Assessment with my Research paper on global warming and the creation of green jobs.
Global warming is a consequence in which man must take responsibility for because of their lack of understanding from the release of greenhouse gasses. My choice to visit the topic of global warming and the creation of green jobs is because of the numerous problems we have today. Problems such as atmospheric deterioration and rising sea levels are in part due to global warming. I just wanted to research and see what the alternatives to fossil fuels bring to the table. In my research I thoroughly looked for sources that were scholarly from the UWM libraries online catalog of articles, journals, and books. I mainly used sources from the UWM libraries online catalog because of the ease of use. The search feature implemented into the website was easy to navigate and find the sources that I wanted to use in my paper. These sources were good sources and in addition there were a lot of them too. Another way that I chose to do my research was by using books from the UWM library because being located on campus the access was there. Also they have a great selection on global warming, alternative technologies, and green jobs. I feel as if I could have had more time, I would have used the books from the library more frequently, but due to much easier access from the UWM catalog I chose to use that instead. The UWM catalog proved to be a very useful and adequate resource because of all the areas in which the engine searches. Moving on, I chose to this topic in hopes to inform those multiple stakeholders about the wonderful and clean alternatives to fossil fuels. These alternatives are quite new but with time they can and will be a huge part of future. Also they cause little or no global warming at all. They are much more efficient than fossil fuels, and that’s what I hope to get across to the American people and those hefty failing car manufacturers out there. Their resistance to change has gone long enough, and I just want them to know that fossil fuels won’t be there forever. Meaning they won’t be selling these cars that they are on the dealer lots anymore. One day they will be forced to manufacture electric and hybrid cars, and just maybe these inventions will save mankind from certain doom.
The reason why I did all that I did was because after reading through all my sources I found the best way to present my case against global warming, and this case I believed, produced the greatest results. By provided the reason for global warming and then presenting the alternatives for fossil fuels, I set the audience up to see the negatives of fossil fuels and then to see the negatives and positives of these new alternative energies. I also used Vonnegut and Nye because in part, Nye had a lot of information in his book that were crucial to my purpose, global warming. Also I used Kurt Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle because the story of a world destroyed was fictional but in our world, it is still very much possible if we as humans don’t change and see our faults. If we don’t see our faults we could possibly end up in a world where every step we take is a frozen step. These choices that I’ve made have had a crucial and positive effect on my controlling purpose.
The controlling purpose of my paper has caused me to take different steps in the search for helping me define my controlling purpose in the end. The utilization of the UWM catalog and books were used help me identify stakeholders; illustrate more information and statistics to support my controlling purpose. These steps that I used to end at my controlling purpose caused me to set up a line of information crucial to the success of fully exploring my controlling purpose. These sources that I used were of much help due to the ease and accessibility of them. Not has the UWM libraries helped me create a paper that is academically just but a paper that is also statistically based. I believe firmly that they use of the UWM facilities and the choices that I have made have helped me to finish the requirements of the English 102 course.