My Essay On The End of the World

Our English class was assigned an essay on a belief we have (non religious). I decided to write about how I thought the end of the world could end. This is what I have for now, I just need a conclusion, which I am trying to figure out. We were also supposed to clearly define "belief" in the essay as well. Tell me what you think.

Armageddon; Inevitable?
Is the destruction of Earth closer than we think?

Merriam Webster�s defines belief as �a state or habit of mind in which trust or confidence is placed in some person or thing�. Many people have different beliefs; they can come in many different forms; the belief of the next ice age, the belief of a third World War, or the belief of Santa Claus, belief of the tooth fairy, etc.
The topic I have chosen to write about is very generalized. Many theories are circling about concerning different scenarios on the end of our planet. There are Biblical, scientific, and personal scenarios. I shall include in this essay, my personal beliefs as well as some scientific data concerning the events surrounding the end of the world.
There are many places to begin. I guess I should start at the most relevant subject to us today: nuclear powers. The nuclear threat is a very real threat to the end of the world. With the United States currently having approximately 8,500 active warheads and Russia currently having approximately 8,400 active warheads, if there ever were a nuclear standoff between these two countries, the world would end in a few short days. This is just an example of the threat that the nuclear weapon poses to our planet. The beginning of peace talks between the two major nuclear powers of today: India and Pakistan, the nuclear threat is in the beginning stages of slowly disintegrating between those two countries.
The next issue concerning the subject of the essay would be global warming. Everyday global warming becomes an even bigger problem. The damage humans have done to the planet by using heat-trapping gases like carbon dioxide (CO2) mainly from the burning of fossil fuels in cars, power plants, factories, and homes has caused the global climate to warm up 1.1 Fahrenheit over the last century, warming faster than any time in the last 1,000 years. As a result, the 1990s was the hottest decade in the last 1,000 years, according to a report done by the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC). The Bush Administration has introduced the Clear Skies Act during the president�s 2003 State of the Union address. This act is supposed to �create a mandatory program that would dramatically reduce power plant emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and mercury by setting a national cap on each pollutant� according to the website of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The Bush Administration must cooperate with the global community and devise a plan in order to dramatically reduce the threat and eventually stop the threat that global warming poses. By encouraging automobile companies to build more less fuel-efficient automobiles this would be a first step in slowing down global warming.
War. As defined in Merriam Webster�s war is �a struggle or competition between opposing forces or for a particular end�. War has been struggling for an end to itself for many millennia. From the battles of cavemen for food to the War Against Terrorists (you can�t have a war against a verb!) and the War In Iraq, war is inevitable, always coming, always going, and never stopping, a continuous cycle. I don�t really need to say much about war, we now know and are experienced, but still have yet to learn from the consequences of the art of war.

Just first glance....

Instead of your thesis being this:
"Armageddon; Inevitable?
Is the destruction of Earth closer than we think?"

I, IMHO, would go with or suggest something like this:

"Armageddon: Inevitable?
The destruction of Earth closer than we think?"

or

"Is Armageddon Inevitable: The destruction of Earth closer than we think?"



regards
seekerof

[Edited on 21-2-2004 by Seekerof]

I know your assignment should probably have a conclusion, but in the case of armageddon (however it happens) there will probably be some unfinished works with the ends tra

As part of the assignment, was a thesis statement asked for or expected?


regards
seekerof

I have edited it a little. This is just a rough draft so it's not final.

Armageddon; Inevitable?
Is the destruction of Earth closer than we think?

Merriam Webster�s defines belief as �a state or habit of mind in which trust or confidence is placed in some person or thing�. Many people have different beliefs; they can come in many different forms; the belief of the next ice age, the belief of a third World War, or the belief of Santa Claus, belief of the tooth fairy, etc.
The topic I have chosen to write about is very generalized. Many theories are circling about concerning different scenarios on the end of our planet. There are Biblical, scientific, and personal scenarios. I shall include in this essay, my personal beliefs as well as some scientific data concerning the events surrounding the end of the world.
There are many places to begin. I guess I should start at the most relevant subject to us today: nuclear powers. The nuclear threat is a very real threat to the end of the world. With the United States currently having approximately 8,500 active warheads and Russia currently having approximately 8,400 active warheads, if there ever were a nuclear standoff between these two countries, the world would end in a few short days. This is just an example of the threat that the nuclear weapon poses to our planet. The beginning of peace talks between the two major nuclear powers of today: India and Pakistan. According to the Carnegie Endowment for International Piece�s website, India contains approximately 30-35 nuclear warheads and Pakistan possesses the components and material to assemble a small number of nuclear weapons in a matter of hours or days. The website also states that Pakistan has �produced enough weapons-grade material to produce between 30-55 nuclear weapons�, and India has �produced enough weapons-grade plutonium to produce 50-90 nuclear weapons�. The nuclear threat is in the beginning stages of slowly disintegrating between those two countries. The next issue concerning the subject of the essay would be global warming. Everyday global warming becomes an even bigger problem. The damage humans have done to the planet by using heat-trapping gases like carbon dioxide (CO2) mainly from the burning of fossil fuels in cars, power plants, factories, and homes has caused the global climate to warm up 1.1 Fahrenheit over the last century, warming faster than any time in the last 1,000 years. As a result, the 1990s was the hottest decade in the last 1,000 years, according to a report done by the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC). The Bush Administration has introduced the Clear Skies Act during the president�s 2003 State of the Union address. This act is supposed to �create a mandatory program that would dramatically reduce power plant emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and mercury by setting a national cap on each pollutant� according to the website of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The Bush Administration must cooperate with the global community and devise a plan in order to dramatically reduce the threat and eventually stop the threat that global warming poses. By encouraging automobile companies to build more less fuel-efficient automobiles this would be a first step in slowing down global warming.
War. As defined in Merriam Webster�s war is �a struggle or competition between opposing forces or for a particular end�. War has been struggling for an end to itself for many millennia. From the battles of cavemen for food to the War Against Terrorists (you can�t have a war against a verb!) and the War In Iraq, war is inevitable, always coming, always going, and never stopping, a continuous cycle. I don�t really need to say much about war, we now know and are experienced, but still have yet to learn from the consequences of the art of war.
Global warming, war, the nuclear threat; these are just a few examples in which I personally believe will have a major part in the end of the world. The end may not come soon, but it will have to come eventually.

*NOTE* This essay is the author�s personal beliefs and should not be taken seriously if not wanted to.

Originally posted by Seekerof
As part of the assignment, was a thesis statement asked for or expected?


regards
seekerof

No, it's not required.

[Edited on 21-2-2004 by TheCatalyst]

Originally posted by TheCatalyst
With the United States currently having approximately 8,500 active warheads and Russia currently having approximately 8,400 active warheads, if there ever were a nuclear standoff between these two countries, the world would end in a few short days.

Instead of using the word "standoff" you may want to use "conflict".

stand�off
Function: noun
1 a : TIE, DEADLOCK b : a counterbalancing effect
2 : the act of standing off

just a general note- dont state "in this essay i will talk about..." just start talking.

ad for your conclusion, itd be cool if you're teacher is crazy cool and likes typographical anarchy and shtuff) if you were in the middle of a very intelligent, well structured sentence and then stopping midword, and at the bottom of the page have END. written big. for example

blah blah blah blah blah hierarch-

END.

Originally posted by Scat
just a general note- dont state "in this essay i will talk about..." just start talking.

ad for your conclusion, itd be cool if you're teacher is crazy cool and likes typographical anarchy and shtuff) if you were in the middle of a very intelligent, well structured sentence and then stopping midword, and at the bottom of the page have END. written big. for example

blah blah blah blah blah hierarch-

END.

No, I don't think I'll do that. Besides the minor details, what do you guys think about it?

[Edited on 22-2-2004 by TheCatalyst]

besides minor details its fine. but trust me teachers hate when you state what youre gonna talk about, unless your in 3rd grade writing a how-to paper on making a peanut butter and jelly sandwhich

Ok, thanks, I'll take that part out.