Argumentative Essay Assignment – Global negotiations
The topic I chose is: Global negotiations
Your best friend from elementary school just became the newest tech billionaire. She is really worried about climate change and wants to contribute to making a big change in climate politics, especially helping Canada and the world achieve its goal of becoming Net Zero by 2050. She’s turning to you because she knows you are taking this class and wants your advice on where to start. She wants to know where to target her efforts at catalyzing change in policy or behavior. Should she focus her attention, resources, and time on the global negotiations, on the federal government in Canada, a province or city in Canada (pick a specific province or city), a corporate sector like banking or oil and gas, or on getting individual Canadians to change their behavior? She wants you to make the case and give her the background she needs to move forward with her climate activism.
To explain your choice you need to do the following:
1. Provide background information on the latest developments (2022-2023) at the level you’ve chosen – Global negotiations
2. Make an argument about why your choice is the best level for her to focus on using both academic arguments and information about the activity and potential for action at the level you’re arguing for.
Your argument should take into account both the size of impact and the likelihood/feasibility of achieving change in policy and/or behavior. (Sometimes there are trade-offs—a strengthened global treaty might make the biggest impact, but it also might be the most difficult to achieve).
General Guidelines
● Paragraphs should not be longer than ¾ of a page (double spaced)
● Sentences should not be longer than 4 lines (double spaced)
Minimum of 1250 words, not including bibliography
8 Sources in total
4 of the sources must be academic
Structure of the Essay:
Introduction
● 5-6 sentences in length
● Thesis MUST be included in the intro
Background Paragraph
● ⅓ – ½ of a page
● Should be directly relevant to your level of governance
● Is well done if it points out a lack in political action and thus prefaces your
arguments to follow after.
Argument Paragraphs
● 3 arguments to support your thesis
1 paragraph per argument
3 pieces of evidence/source/quote to support each argument.
● 1 counterargument
Conclusion
● 2-3 sentences in length
● No new information should be included in your conclusion
● Should include a restatement of your thesis
